A Colorful Life
by phoenixnext
Summary: NanoFate AU. Fate Testarossa is the best ad designer in Uminari City, but her cool & reclusive manner has earned her the nickname The Ice Angel from colleagues. What few know is her painful childhood has left her scarred both physically & emotionally. Can her new coworker melt her frosty exterior & how will they both deal with their meddling families? Ch 2 edited 2/1/17.
1. Chapter 1: Prologue & First Impressions

**Disclaimer:** I do not claim ownership of Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha Series or Characters.

 **Author's Note:** This was my second attempt at a story and sat on my computer hard drive for over a year being ignored in due my little flights of fancy. I had three chapters completed and a vague idea of where the story was going but have long ago thrown out the outline. I hope for your continued support to help me complete this story that I had hit a dead end with but has since become a labor of love. Please read and review, give me feedback on where y'all think this story should be moving too.

Side Note: Sorry everyone about the OOC'ness of Einhart, I really meant to make her more serious but she kind of took on a life of her own. I combined the prologue and first chapter together as they really need to be read together to get a feel of where the characters are coming from but please do not expect all chapters to be anywhere near as long as this on a regular basis.

**Edited 1/29/17: Thanks to elfbs for beta reading and helping pummel my brain into fixing some of the areas where I got lazy the first time around. Hope y'all like this update and I hope to have a new chapter up soon.**

~"~"~"~

Prologue: The Making of an Angel

50 km outside Florence, Italy, 18 years ago

A blonde child of nine was lying on the ground, the blood that had run down her back onto the dirt floor of the cellar was now dried and caked. In the bleak darkness of the subterranean room the sounds coming from upstairs seemed both close and faraway. The monster that lived upstairs had long ago taught her crying would not bring help. Only being silent and ignoring the pain, ignoring her own existence could forestall more torture.

The heavy steps of Mother coming from above creaking the floorboards, the crashing noise of a bottle being dropped and the cursing that followed let her know a new day had begun. This would be just another day in the life of horror that had started three years ago when her father left with her older twin.

Shifting against the packed dirt she once more fell into her fever dream, the retreating figure of a blonde child had her silently pleading, 'Alicia, Onee-chan please don't leave me.'

All the tears the sisters had cried the day they were separated had made no difference to the outcome. Father took Alicia away and left Fate behind, that had been the agreement between their parents. Father had wanted Fate, she was like him an artist, but Mother wouldn't let him have their youngest daughter in her anger. So Father and Alicia went to Japan leaving her behind. It had been three years and everyday Mother was getting closer to killing her.

At first it had been simple neglect, a missed meal or two, and then it was a slap. Then the needles and straps came out forcing chemical solutions into her body all in the name of her Mother's twisted scientific curiosity. Now Mother wasn't just experimenting on her, she was using various tools to punish her daughter for being like _him._ How much more of this treatment her small body could endure she wasn't sure. She wasn't even sure in her child's mind why she was enduring it, wouldn't it be better if Mother just ended this? No one would care if she disappeared.

Fate thought about her classmates at school before the divorce, did any of them even wonder what happened to her? She hadn't been to school since that first year. Leaving school for the holidays she hadn't expected not to return. She hadn't even gotten to say goodbye to her... friends. Squeezing her eyes closed she tried to focus but no faces came to her mind, there were no friends, no one who cared, she was all alone.

All alone in the windowless cellar; she wished there was one, if she could just see the sky she could pretend she was laying in the grass after playing with Alicia. She couldn't even see the dirt floor, if she had been able to she would have drawn in the dirt but Mother didn't leave the lights on anymore, it was a waste of electricity.

Mother had moved them to another family estate, it was rural and remote, no neighbors within five kilometers or more, now they were alone. There was no phone, Mother didn't like to be disturbed. What few letters they received Mother got to first, there would to be no contact for her daughter with the outside world. The girl had to learn no one cared, all she had was her and that meant she had better behave.

There was a knock at the front door, the girl lifted her head from the dirt floor to hear better but she made no attempt to cry out. Doing such a foolish thing would only make Mother angry, no help could be expected. There were some distant mutters and then the sound of unfamiliar footsteps. Blinding light flooded the cellar before Mother descended the stairs carrying a wash cloth and a clean long sleeved dress. The blonde was yanked to her feet as her Mother wiped her face and back to remove the outward signs of her recent punishment. Then the dress was pulled roughly down her head and she was lead out of the darkness.

In the living room was a blonde child, beautiful and cheerful, she was sitting next to a blonde man on the worn couch. Fate's heart was pounding but her face stayed blank, she didn't know what was expected of her, her mind in turmoil. The blonde child jumped up and tried to embrace her sister but Mother stood between them.

In her shrill voice Mother spat out, "There, you've seen her. We don't want anything to do with either of you, so go away. Now."

Alicia's face fell, she wanted her little sister back. She'd spent the past three years badgering her father to return to Italy and force their mother to release her twin. Father had dragged his feet, he knew his ex-wife wouldn't make things easy but surely for the sake of the girls they could come to a new agreement.

"Precia, please… let the girls spend some time together, they're twins, surely you know they've missed one another," the tall blonde man pleaded.

"You're the one who left, you're the one who separated them, not me," she fired back hotly.

As her mother was distracted with arguing with her father Alicia scampered around the irate woman and clamped onto her sister. The girl was thin and despite the quick clean up she had been subjected to she smelt of blood and dirt. Alicia was young but she was not naïve, she knew her mother was capable of hurting people. She'd seen her strike their father and in the last days of the marriage pull a knife on him. In the years they had been separated she had increasing terrifying nightmares involving her sister. Now the girl who had been her closest confidant was standing staring at her blankly. What had their mother done to the girl who had once been her other half?

Pulling Fate closer to their father and not knowing why but knowing she had to look she pulled the dress her sister wore up to expose her back. The sight made her young mind shut down and as she let out a choked scream their father saw the horror sending him into a rage.

~"~"~"~

Young Fate had been taken to the nearest hospital by the Polizia after her mother had been arrested. Her father had restrained the mad woman until they could arrive. The aftermath of the investigation made it clear Fate had been suffering at the hands of her mother for years, how the child had survived was a miracle, malnutrition and severe beatings resulting in large amounts of blood loss had left her life dangling by a thread. If they hadn't arrived that when they had she may well have died within days if conditions continued. Alicia overheard the doctors talking and became fearful her little sister would still die, from then on she refused to leave her side.

Alicia curled up next to her sister, wrapped her childishly thin arms around the frail form as if she could protect her from all harm. "Imōto-chan, I'll never leave you again, I promise, we'll always be together." Fate didn't reply, but shifted and clung tighter to her sister, afraid it was all a dream.

For the first few months after her recovery she didn't speak, she had been _taught_ by Mother that children should be seen not heard. Alicia eventually brought her out of her shell, not so much with her incessant happy chatter but her constant dedication. While it was clear her sister wasn't being punished for her exuberant behavior that wasn't enough to give her the courage to speak. It was only the loving presence and stubbornness of her elder twin that eventually lead to her speaking her first word in months.

~"~"~"~

Alicia made it her life's goal to make her sister happy, to teach her it was okay to smile and laugh but some days were harder than others. It seemed only when her sister had a pencil or paintbrush in hand that she really was free from the pain. Their father felt guilty for having abandoned his daughter to torture and not even with family counseling was he able to overcome the emotional walls built from the horror she endured. Unable or unwilling to put the effort in to rebuild their relationship he tried to make up for it with every art supply the girl even showed the slightest interest in.

By the time the timid girl reached puberty it was clear she was an artistic prodigy, she could bring to life her creations with vibrant colors never seen before. She seemed to be pouring the life dammed up in her into her paintings and drawings, while outside she was as quiet and remote as the grave. Where her father failed to be the mentor she needed, she found the support she longed for in another man and his family. Their loving guidance allowed her to develop the rudiments of social skills when it came to her craft.

Which was why her losing that bond with her adoptive family hurt her all the more. It was a loss which affected her deeply and left her questioning what kind of life she really wanted. Her adopted family had see her through some of the roughest years of recovery and development but as she was on the precipice of adulthood they were gone.

As she faced a future without them in it she couldn't help blaming herself for letting their relationship deteriorate to the point it had. Maybe someday she'd have the strength to face them again. As it was she felt like she really was her father's daughter, a coward who could only run away from painful situations. It didn't help matters that her sister with zero consideration immediately blamed others for her shortcomings further creating tension.

It was also thanks to Alicia and tutors that Fate was able to graduate from high school early along with her sister. Despite the time she had been neglected Fate had caught up with then surpassed their peers with their help. The duo in school balanced each other well, Alicia being stronger in Math and Science while Fate excelled in Languages and the Arts.

Worried about her sister's future Alicia asked, "Ne, Imōto-chan, what do you want to do when you grow up?"

Fate buried in one of her artbooks answered with a sigh, "I don't know, I just want to be able to paint, but I also don't want to be dependent on anyone else. I got the scholarships to Kyoto University of Art and Design and The Florence Academy of Art, but I don't know if I want to go back to Europe."

Not wanting her sister going anywhere near Europe Alicia sat down next to her and gripped her hand, "Well, I got into the University of Kyoto, so we can live together in an apartment there. It will be fun, come on. Just the two of us without dad being a pain."

Surprised by the offer Fate tried to dissuade her sister, "Cia-nee, you don't have to take care of me. You should go to Tokyo University, it's your first choice."

"Un-uh, I promised we'd always be together. I want to be with you, I'd never forgive myself if anything happened to you," she replied while hugging her sister tight.

Caught in the loving embrace and unable to argue against something she desperately wanted Fate leaned into her sister and relented.

~"~"~"~

So the pair proceeded to university, Fate to the prestigious Kyoto University of Art and Design and Alicia to the University of Kyoto to study chemistry and obtain her teaching certification. The confidently beautiful Alicia also took on a job as a model in addition to her studies.

When asked by work colleagues why she bothered with school she replied, "One won't always be young and beautiful, besides I really like children and want to be a teacher someday."

It didn't take long for the sisters to become something of celebrities within the city. Fate's art work winning many awards and Alicia's presence in fashion magazines brought them both into the spotlight. Alicia became the spokesperson for the sisters, Fate always standing a step behind the bolder blonde with a quietly impassive look on her face. At openings for Fate's art shows Alicia and the few close friends the pair had ensured Fate didn't hide in the shadows. Instead pushing her to further develop her semblance of confidence when it came to presenting her work.

One friend in particular seemed to have a flair for the dramatic and constantly pushed Fate to be more open. Wanting to become stronger and frightened by her ever growing dependence on Alicia she revealed the truth behind her reclusive behavior. The relationship failed miserably shortly there after leaving Fate with even more trust issues. Trust issues she had to deal with when others decided to confront her.

Alicia looking back on her sister's rocky first year at University couldn't help wishing they could redo the whole thing. Not just because of the emotional trauma but because she was now having to deal with some very annoying people all for Fate's sake. Considering the low point of the year she had to thankful Fate wasn't hiding in a closet refusing to come out. She also had the added bonus of having two additional people who not only knew Fate's secret but accepted her fully, even if one in particular drove her nuts.

With the help of of her new friends Fate learned how to balance her social awkwardness better. Though everyone who knew her could still see her hesitation to let people too close. Before long Fate was able to hold dynamitic conversations when it came to her artwork and techniques making more than one man (and woman) fall in love with her to her utter befuddlement.

Her gentle, "Thank you for your kind regard but I'm not interested in a relationship at this time," was a mantra many heard as the years went by.

Throughout High School those who sought out the sisters romantically found a dead end, neither wanted to date. In University Fate could see Alicia was becoming more conflicted over saying no. Not wanting resentment to develop Fate pushed her sister to accept the offers. Not wanting Fate to feel abandoned Alicia insisted she come on the group dates or parties she was invited too. So began a new battle with social interaction that Fate was ill prepared to deal with.

By their final year in school Alicia's playgirl behavior had driven many a woman to despair. When asked why she refused to settle down she would say, "No one is more important to me than my sister. The girls I date are fun but they can't replace her in my life."

Many girls took her behavior to be a challenge trying to seduce her and in the end the relationships imploded with them screaming at her, "Alicia, why?! Your sister doesn't need you, damn it you have a right to be with someone, to have your own life!"

Alicia tried to make them understand it wasn't Fate who held her back, "It's not my sister's fault. She's made it clear that she understands one day we'll have separate lives but right now I would rather spend my time with her, that's just the way it is. I'm sorry but I just don't love you."

Upon graduation they joined the workforce in earnest, Fate found a position with an ad design marketing company where she quickly rose within the ranks. She had learned to communicate with people within the context of her craft but interpersonal exchanges still left her floundering. She kept everyone at arm's' distance which in the end led to more than one of her co-designers to call her a stuck up ice queen and demanding to work with someone more _human_. Before long she was being called behind her back throughout the company the Ice Angel, cold as ice and perfect as an angel.

"Shush here she comes….man, just her walking by can make the room's temperature fall. God damn Ice Angel, if she wasn't so good at her job they'd have fired her years ago since she can't keep a partner for more than a month."

~"~"~"~

The sisters were twenty-two when they were asked if they would take in an orphaned cousin, Alicia was hesitant after all Fate didn't get along with others very well. How would she respond to a strange child suddenly being dropped on them? Learning of the girl's circumstances Fate asked to meet the child and found herself liking the quiet girl. Almost instantly she felt a strong kinship to the orphan and agreed to take her in.

It didn't take long for the shy eleven year old girl to become the second person to ever reach inside Fate's hard shell. As if cut from the same quietly serious cloth both soon blossomed at home under Alicia's increasingly childish influence. With Einhart, Alicia now had an excuse to tease and joke. As if giving the elder twins a second chance at their ruined childhood both sisters embraced a more relaxed manner at home. Fate still didn't trust other adults but with certain children she found she could be open and even laugh.

"Ein-chan, come here, let's see your grades…mmhhm you've done very well."

Smiling at the praise Einhart accepted the hug from her favorite cousin.

The soft hearted blonde gave the girl a squeeze before asking, "Considering all your hard work what would you like as a reward?"

Shrugging the green haired girl asked, "Um, can we go to the Art Museum?"

Looking down at the girl Fate pointed out with an amused smile, "Hmm, you know we can go somewhere more…lively."

Shaking her head to emphasize her rejection of that idea Einhart replied, "Un-uh, I rather go somewhere where we can both be happy."

Giving the girl another tighter squeeze Fate laughed, "You're a sweetheart Ein-chan."

~"~"~"~

Over the next five years Einhart changed the way they lived and interacted with each other. Ein-chan loved to tease Alicia and was very protective of Fate. In time Fate learned to tease her sister too and would hide behind the laughing child trying to look innocent when her sister in shock finally grasped the subtle barbs flung at her by her quiet twin. In this small conclave Fate was happiest until she met her art students.

Two years into Einhart's residence with the sisters found Fate being chosen as Artist of the Year by the local guilds. As such she was requested to give presentations to young artists in some local schools. Einhart joined her and soon Fate found herself with two then later four students whom she would teach on weekends and holidays.

If anyone from her work had seen her with her students they would not have believed it possible that she was the same woman they worked with everyday. She smiled and laughed with her students, she was a gentle teacher guiding them through various styles and techniques. But even they did not know all of her secrets, as she would not burden them with all her pain. So even in the dead heat of summer she wore long sleeves and pants, never showing an inch of skin more than necessary as they worked away in the studio she rented. Even with the windows open and the large fans running it was not comfortable to the children and they all wondered at her stamina in the stifling heat.

Moving around the large space and managing the handful of children in her charge, Fate found the work could be exhausting but rewarding. Especially since all the young people seemed to see her as more of a big sister than a teacher. Each child gave their all to please her and to be as helpful as possible to the soft spoken woman.

Seeing her petite pink haired student struggling she pointed another over to help her out, "Erio-kun, please help Caro-chan with the supplies. Thank you sweetheart."

Without a single grumble the red haired boy responded and was happy to accept the warm smile she bestowed on him. Along with the grateful look the cute pink haired girl gave him which had him blushing.

Looking across the room to her older students she couldn't prevent the sigh escaping her lips, "Teana-chan, please don't be so serious, you need to relax or you'll make more mistakes…"

Suddenly eyes wide she tried to prevent _another_ disaster by calling out to an overburdened blue haired girl, "Ah no wait, stop!"

The resounding crashing noise filled the room as half a dozen open canisters of paint went flying. Groaning at the sight of two girls now covered in paint, "Ugh…Subaru-chan, Teana-chan are you okay?"

The hyperactive Subaru wiped her paint stained face and gave a feeble laugh which had her red haired friend smacking her and growling, "Don't laugh you idiot, we are in so much trouble."

Shaking her head at the pair Fate said, "If you two can still bicker then I guess you're alright. Now I think it'd be best if you both go home and get cleaned up. Don't worry about the mess, I'll take care of it…"

The overly serious Teana tried to object, "Ah no, Fate-sensei! We should at least clean up before going."

Carefully avoiding the paint splattered parts of the girls Fate guided them both to the door before saying, "Go home, you're not in trouble. But I would appreciate it if you two could try to be more patient next time. Both of you are in too much of a hurry."

~"~"~"~"~"~

 **Chapter One: First Impressions**

Einhart was walking to school when she saw a moving truck across the street and various workmen carrying furniture and boxes into the formerly vacant house. She tried to look into the house to see the new tenants but wasn't able to see anything but stacks of boxes. Giving up she proceeded on to the bus stop, but when she got home after school she planned to drag Cia-chan and Fate-nee to meet their new neighbor, whether they liked it or not.

The school day was going so slowly, Einhart was smart and as the work being discussed was something she readily grasped. Letting her attention wander she was looked out the window when she saw a woman and a girl walk up the school's front path to the administration building.

Trying to get a better look she couldn't help thinking, 'Hmm a new student? It's unusual at this time of year so the poor girl was going to be the center of attention. And it's not gonna help the girl being a foreigner with that blonde hair. Well depending on where she's put I might need to intervene to _protect_ the newbie,' smiling to herself she settled back in her seat when the pair disappeared from view, 'After all I'll need to do my good deed for the day and I do _love_ blondes.'

The girl in question wasn't starting school that day but went through the motions of getting registered, obtaining her class schedule and necessary school supplies. She would start school the next day but before they left the vice-principal gave them a quick tour. The girl and her mother were the object of attention through the windows and it was quickly determined that the next day she would be joining class 1-B, but who she was, was still a mystery.

Einhart made her way home and saw the moving truck was gone and the house looked dark, 'hmm, looks like they're out, well I'll keep an eye out and when they get home I'll make sure we greet them properly.'

A few hours later Fate made her way home from work, it had been yet another day of working quietly in her office, the second desk within still empty but her boss had called her in to tell her she would be getting a new partner the next day. The position had been open for months, as the minimum requirements to work with her were so high. Fate didn't want to work with an amateur marketer or a half-baked haughty artist who didn't know the first thing about advertising, both types having been pressed upon her in the past. The resume of her new partner when presented to her was quite impressive and left her wondering why the woman had come to Uminari when her skills could be better served in New York or London where she had previously worked.

When she entered the house she could hear arguing and couldn't help rolling her eyes, 'Sometimes Cia-nee really can be such a child; she really needs to learn not to let Ein-chan get under her skin.' She kicked off her shoes and made her way to the kitchen and the sight of two females covered in flour and the sticky mess on her counter tops made her head began to ache.

"Um…Ein-chan what's going on here?"

She had asked the teen as she knew her sister would only give her excuses. So when Alicia tried to start in she lifted a hand to stay her while keeping her eyes on the teen.

"Well, I wanted to make some cookies to give to our new neighbors and asked Cia-chan to help me but we kind of got into an argument over what type of cookies we were making and one thing led to another," the girl replied guiltily.

"Ah, now we all know none of us can bake to save our lives Ein-chan so what made you think this time would be any different?" Fate asked as she rubbed her forehead.

"Um I... I found this cookbook in the library today and it looked pretty simple, and besides I've been getting good grades overall in my cooking classes so I thought it wouldn't hurt to try again," Einhart tried to explain with an awkward smile.

Sighing, "I'm going to take a bath, when I get out I want to see my kitchen clean and the two of you looking like normal human beings and not someone's bad idea of a ghost. If everything looks okay I'll take you to the bakery after we have dinner and we can buy something for our new neighbors rather than risking food poisoning, does that sound fair to everyone?"

Both of the miscreants murmured their agreement and Fate left them to the clean up. She made her way to her room to find a change of clothes and then proceeded to the bath. Under the harsh lights of the bathroom she could see the trailing scars that ran down her back, arms and legs. They had faded over time but it was clear no one would miss them if she wore shorts or a tank top, let alone a swimsuit. She wasn't really interested in what others might think of her scars, but she also didn't want to deal with the questions.

She wanted to be left alone, the desire to be with another person intimately was a concept that never appealed to her. While others were looking for their soul mate she wanted to get on with her work. Other than her small circle of friends and family she really didn't feel the need for anything else, it was best to stay safe. After all she didn't want to go into the past, it was the past and nothing anyone said or did could change what had happened. Best to move on and take what little enjoyment she could find out of life without dredging up her murky history.

After a soaking bath she dressed and came down to find her kitchen once more clean and her housemates missing. She began cooking dinner and by the time it was done they both reappeared cleaned up. They ate a quiet family dinner where the two "children" kicked each other under the table when there was a dispute over who would get the last piece of chicken. Fate settled the fight with another roll of her eyes by cutting the piece into two _equally_ and placing the meat on their plates, 'Really, they're such babies sometimes,' she thought morosely.

Dinner dishes were finally washed and put away so Fate grabbed her purse and keys to head over to the closest and best bakery in the city, Midori-ya Café. When they pulled into the parking lot the business' lights were off, "That's strange, they're already closed. I hope nothing happened to the Takamachis."

Einhart looked disappointed and sighed, "I really wanted a cinnamon roll too."

"And here I thought we were here to get a welcome-to-the-neighborhood gift, _not_ something for your own sweet tooth." The blonde replied with an eyebrow lifted in irony.

"Well it's not like we couldn't get both, besides you ate the last of the rolls I bought so you owe me," the girl pouted.

"It's getting late. How's this, I'll pick up a dozen cinnamon rolls on my way home from work tomorrow and we can take half to our new neighbors and keep the rest for ourselves. I'll even ask Momoko-san to put extra frosting on yours," she offered to pacify her young cousin.

The girl brightened up immediately and jauntily replied, "That sounds like a wonderful idea," then gave her a big hug, "You're the best!"

A small smile came to the blonde's lips, "Okay, now that's settled let's go home and get ready for bed, it's going to be a long day tomorrow."

~"~"~"~"~"~"~

The next morning came quickly and Einhart was surprised to see the blonde girl from the day before running out of the house across the street with a piece of toast in her mouth and her bag hanging haphazardly from her arm. Einhart looked at her watch and knew the bus wasn't set to arrive for another ten minutes, plenty of time for her to get to the station, so what was the rush? She followed the rapidly retreating figure at a more sedate pace and wasn't surprised to see the girl huffing for breath looking around for the bus.

"We still have a few minutes before it arrives," she spoke with more than a hint of amusement in her voice.

The girl turned to look at her with a blush, "Ah, I thought I was late, isn't it suppose to be here at eight o'clock?"

"Hmm? Oh, yeah on weekends, during the week it comes at eight-ten," she replied distractedly as she had been slightly entranced by the girl's eyes, they were like hers, heterochromatic.

"Won't we be late then? School starts at eight-thirty." The girl looked worriedly up the road searching for the bus.

"Nah, it will get us there in less than ten minutes, we'll have plenty of time to get to class. Um, by the way I'm Stratos Einhart. I think we're neighbors and might be in the same homeroom, 1-b right?" she replied then gave a little bow to the blonde.

The blonde girl blushed again then politely introduced herself, "I'm Scrya-Takamachi Vivio, it's nice to meet you."

Einhart was about to say more when the bus made its turn around the block and lumbered towards them. Vivio seeing the bus began to frantically search for the bus pass in her bag. She pulled out her wallet only to drop it in her haste, Einhart quickly bent down to scoop up the item and spotting the bright blue of the pass pulled it out before handing them both to the agitated girl. 'She must be really nervous, she's hopping about like a Mexican Jumping Bean.'

"Thanks Einhart-san, I'm a mess this morning, I really wish my mom could have come with me today but she started her new job at seven so I'm all on my own in a new city and a new school, I feel like my heart is about to burst with how fast it's thumping."

"Vivio-san please calm down, it's going to be okay, if you have any problems I'll be happy to help you. Like I said we are in the same homeroom so it's likely we'll be in a lot of the same classes so if you need a guide or anything just ask me," Einhart said with a warm smile that made her stormy violet and blue eyes appear soft and friendly.

The friendly gesture seemed to freeze the blonde so Einhart ushered the girl onto the bus and into a pair of open seats after they flashed their passes at the driver. Helping the frazzled girl settle down with a soft pat on the arm she was moved by the gratitude that shone in her bright green and red eyes.

The blonde took a deep breath to settle her nerves and gave her a watery smile, "Thanks again Einhart-san… oh is that alright?" then frowned in worry that she had offended the helpful girl, "I'm probably being presumptuous in calling you by your first name. Nanoha-mama is trying to teach me proper Japanese etiquette but I get pretty confused most of the time."

Einhart laughed at this then took her hand to give it a gentle squeeze, "It's fine, I'd like for us to get along. You can even call me Ein-chan like my other friends."

Vivio beamed at this, "Then please call me Vi, um I guess it would be Vi-chan."

~"~"~"~"~"~

Fate had arrived early to work, normally the staff was expected to be in the office by seven but she was in at six as she liked to leisurely drink her coffee and read her emails before starting on her work. So when her office door opened at six-thirty she was surprised to see her boss and an auburn haired woman behind him. "Good morning Testarossa-san I'd like to introduce you to your new partner, this is Scrya-Takamachi Nanoha."

The auburn haired woman stepped forward and bowed to the now standing blonde, Nanoha was surprised at her visceral reaction to the woman and was struggling to hide her emotions. 'Oh my god she's gorgeous! Those eyes are so unique, I've seen anyone with burgundy colored eyes before.'

Fate waited for her to rise and then made her own introduction before bowing in return, "It's very nice to meet you Scrya-Takamachi-san I hope we will work well together."

Nanoha's eyes couldn't help taking in the rigidity in the woman's stance and wondered at it. There was something closed off and a feeling of a person being in tight control that made her think for a moment the woman was going to be high strung and that the gossip she had overheard had more than a drop of truth in it.

Fate on the other hand couldn't shake the feeling there was something familiar about the woman before her. It was almost like they had met before but that couldn't be, her resume made it clear she had been living abroad for most of the past decade. Then the second part of her name clicked in her head, 'Takamachi? As in the daughter of Momoko and Shiro, whom they both rave on about all the time?'

Eyes widening briefly and with a slight catch to her breath Fate asked, "Um excuse me but are you related to Takamachi Momoko?"

The woman blinked her enchanting sapphire eyes at this, "Yes, she's my mother, how did you know?"

"Well you look remarkably like your mother and I've been going to her bakery for years. She talks about you quite a bit, I'm sorry I didn't make the connection sooner," she replied with a rather disturbed look in her deep burgundy eyes, "My condolences on the passing of your late husband."

Nanoha wasn't sure what had her more confused, the fact that her new coworker knew her family or the strange look she was now receiving from her. It would be just her luck if her insane family had given this woman a very biased opinion of her and ruined any chance of them working together.

Bowing her head again she replied awkwardly, "Thank you, I guess you really must know my mother. I haven't mentioned my marital status with anyone outside my family and close friends. I hope we can work well together too, if you're a friend of my family I think we should get along quite well."

Their boss clapped his hands together and jovially stated, "Wonderful! I'm so glad you two have some common ground to build a good working relationship on. Now Testarossa-san I'll leave you two alone to get better acquainted, please take good care of your new colleague."

Fate felt like the room was suddenly filled with some kind of viscous fluid making it hard to move or speak. She had hoped to keep her relationship with her new partner purely professional but if she was the daughter of Momoko and Shiro that really wasn't likely. Those two were as inquisitive as a pair of five year olds, always poking at her to open up and smile. They knew things about her that she really didn't want the rest of the company to know and now their daughter had a front row seat to monitor her at work. The gods only knew what the pair would do to her if they found out about her company nickname or the true extent of her poor social skills.

They stood looking at each other for a few moments after the door closed behind their boss, trying to decide what to do or say next. Nanoha had no clue what to say at this point her mind stuck on the thought of this woman knowing her family. How much had they really told this stranger about her and how the hell was she supposed to retain the semblance of professionalism with someone who might have seen her baby pictures?!

Fate decided to fall back onto their mutual work and not think about the multitude of stories or pictures she had been exposed to over the years, "Um, this will be your desk. I made sure it is fully stocked with all the materials needed for our current project. You'll need to log into the computer and set up your passwords. The phone number for our line is listed right under the keypad so if you need to give it out just read it off. I have the layouts for what I have come up with so far on your desk. Please review them and let me know your opinion and any changes you'd like to make."

Nanoha made her way to the desk and looked everything over, the supplies and documents were all neatly arranged and easily accessible. "Thank you Testarossa-san, I'll take some time now to get familiar with everything then maybe in an hour or so we can discuss the project."

Thankful the shorter woman's penetrating sapphire eyes were no longer on her Fate said, "Very good, I'll be reviewing the work of our apprentice designers in the meantime, just let me know when you're ready."

Fate then turned to her computer monitor and began to flick through various documents and layouts losing herself once more in work. Nanoha couldn't help glancing over from time to time at the woman amazed at the complete lack of attention she was receiving. Normally a new coworker would be asking questions or talking about themselves to try and break the ice. Instead it was like the woman had dismissed her from her attention and was now in her own little world. The strange thing about the situation was she didn't feel any _dismissal_ or _rejection_ from the blonde. Shaking herself Nanoha turned to the computer and tried to concentrate.

Over the next hour the office was strangely hushed. Nanoha felt like there was no one else in the room. The blonde seemed to have no physical presence, if there wasn't the quiet click of the keyboard or mouse she would have sworn the woman had left the room. It was like Fate had put on an invisibility cloak that made her blend into her surroundings, 'how was it possible for such a beautiful and talented person to just fade into the background?'

Two unnerving hours later Nanoha turned to her colleague, "Testarossa-san?" and found the blonde had disappeared. Nanoha looked around the room and there was nothing, leaving her to mutter, "How the devil?"

The woman in question had gotten up and left nearly twenty minutes prior to resolve an issue she'd found in one of the layouts that had been submitted. Fate wasn't used to announcing her comings and goings to anyone and thinking she'd be back before she'd be missed just slipped out of the office quietly as to not disturb her new partner. Nanoha had just gotten up to open the door and check for the blonde when she heard her talking outside the door.

"How's it going Testarossa-sama? Getting along with your new _assistant_?" a snide voice asked.

"Good morning Niijima-san, she is not an assistant, she will be my partner, her abilities and work experience put her quite a bit ahead of me. I for one am proud that someone so gifted has decided to come to work at our company. Please excuse me I must get back to work, have a good rest of your day," a quiet voice replied.

"Ah, Testarossa-sama, perhaps you and your lovely _partner_ would like to go out for lunch, it'd be my treat, we can celebrate someone finally meeting your _approval_ ," replied the voice filled with maliciousness.

The door swung open gently and the woman appeared to be calm and as if she hadn't heard the last words spoken to her. Noticing her new colleague was standing by the door looking at her Fate nodded in greeting before shutting it in the face of whoever had been speaking to her. Nanoha hadn't liked the way the man had spoken to the blonde, even if the woman could be a bit elusive that guy made her sound as if she was stuck up. Nanoha had met people who put on haughty airs, had married into a family of pompous perfectionists in fact, and she wasn't getting that vibe from the blonde. In fact she was coming to understand the woman more by just looking into her eyes. That dark look she hadn't quite placed before she finally recognized, loneliness. There was no way she'd ever be able to confuse that look with any other, it was a look she faced every morning in the mirror.

Not sure how to address the woman she blurted out, "Where'd you go? I didn't even hear you leave."

Avoiding Nanoha's eyes Fate walked back to her desk, looking over the documents she'd left on her desk she then forced herself to turn to look at her speaker, "I had to deal with Ono-san's submission, the young man seems to think he can get away with submitting crude and provocative drawings in place of real work. I'm not sure why he was hired, he isn't very professional."

"Are you in charge of the apprentice designers in addition to our normal duties?"

"Yes and no, there is a manager who oversees their day to day training but I review all their projects before signing off for presentation to the client. Unfortunately the manager and I don't get along very well, she likes to let things like this work their way to me."

She held up an ad, it was almost a slap in the face. It had a blonde woman in a tiny red bikini top that barely covered erect nipples, she was wearing thigh high red leather high heeled boots, and there was a tiny piece of signage held between her legs covering the crotch area, and the slogan written thereupon was risqué in its double meaning. It was pretty tasteless and borderline sexual harassment considering the woman depicted was clearly drawn with Fate in mind.

Nanoha took the document from Fate and had the urge to crush it or tear it up, couldn't these people see the pain and sadness already in her beautiful burgundy eyes, why were they trying to add more? Instead she walked over to the shredder and fed the document into its sharp teeth. They probably should have taken it to the director and had him deal with the offender but the very idea of such a picture being allowed to exist made Nanoha's stomach ache.

Glaring at the resulting confetti she said, "Trash, I hope you told him to start over and to be more professional. I for one won't tolerate this kind of behavior, I didn't in my prior companies and I'm not about to start now."

"Hmm, well enough on that matter," she replied as she watched the document being destroyed, then looking at the woman in front of her with a placid face, "let's get down to our own work."

"Right, I was thinking…" Nanoha began her presentation of ideas on where to take the project next with a look of determination and a warm smile.

~"~"~"~"~"~

The morning flew by for both mother and child with their respective guides, though Vivio was clearly having the better day in regards of making friends. Fate introduced Nanoha to the other women in the office right before lunch time and then excused herself. Nanoha watched her leave and wasn't surprised when the women she'd been left with began to gossip. She listened halfheartedly for a while as they spoke about the men in the office and management. But when the topic moved on to the blonde she felt her interest surge.

"Umm, the woman could have any man in the office but she is soo frigid. I don't think I've ever seen her give anyone the time of day, not even that heartthrob Acous-kun was able to make her blink."

"Maybe she's a lez? She's awful close to that sister of hers, and I know for a fact she is a lez. Alicia Testarossa is such a whore, she jumps from woman to woman, quickies in closets while she's on those photo shoots she does for our company. I have heard so many stories about that one, I wonder if maybe some of those cases were Fate and people just assumed it was Alicia."

"They probably do have something going on between them, the only one good enough for Miss Perfect would have to be her sister. The Ice Angel only smiles at her twin, the Hot Devil, they make quite the pair. Hey Scrya-san what's she like?"

"My name is Scrya- _Takamachi_ , and she is very diligent. Excuse me, I'm going to get something to eat," she replied chillily to the bunch of squawking chickens before walking to the elevator.

Nanoha knew she probably just offended those women but they really didn't seem like the kind of people she'd want to be friends with anyway. She hated people who spread rumors and talked about other people's love lives. She was walking up the block looking at the store fronts trying to determine if there were any restaurants or fast food establishments when she saw a familiar length of blonde hair coming out of a building. She was followed by another blonde and they were walking towards the park. She walked up to the door they had just exited and saw it was a deli so she decided to go in for a sandwich.

Thirty minutes later she saw the duo returning and she exited the restaurant just as the sisters crossed the street. Fate spotted the auburn haired woman immediately, she had just spent the last half hour freaking out to her sister about her. Alicia felt her sister tense and noticed the woman standing on the sidewalk looking at them, it only took a glance to see she really was a younger and if possible prettier version of her mother.

The older twin began to laugh at her sister internally, 'Well now, isn't this an interesting development. Up until now the only person able to get under little Fate-chan's skin was Takamachi Momoko, that woman can make the little fool do the most out of character things. Heh heh and now there is a younger and _single_ version running around, oh this is going to be _fun_.'

The sisters came to a stop in front of the shorter woman and Alicia stepped forward to introduce herself with her suave smile in place. "You must be Scrya-Takamachi Nanoha, my dear sister Fate-chan was talking about how _wonderful_ it is to have you working with her. I'm Testarossa Alicia, please call me Cia."

The new blonde woman bowed to Nanoha and she had to blink at the complete contrast between the sisters. Alicia had a physical presence that made you sit up and take notice the moment she appeared. She also radiated confidence and sensuality that would make less self-assured people feel like she would swallow them in one bite if not careful. They weren't exactly identical to Nanoha's eye, Fate appeared to be slightly taller than her sister then looking down at their footwear, Alicia had to be wearing three inch heels while Fate was in conservative flats. It was then she realized Fate must be in fact two or three inches taller if they took their shoes off, how'd that happen? Fate's face was also the slightest bit thinner and longer than her sister's, she actually looked as if she was a stretched out version of her twin the longer she stared at them.

Snapping out of her blonde induced stupor she nodded at the older twin and replied, "Nice to meet you Cia-san, please call me Nanoha, it's my understanding you and your sister know my family pretty well."

"Yes, hmm it is quite remarkable, you really do look like your mother and I have to say she is one of the most beautiful women I've ever met. If there is _anything_ the Testarossa family can do for you please let us know," Alicia gave her a rather licentious smile and wink.

Fate seeing what her sister was doing acted without thinking, smacking her sister lightly across the head with her palm and then giving her a stormy look, "Cia-nee I think it's time for you to get back to work, please forgive my sister for her impropriety, Scrya-Takamachi-san."

She then took Nanoha's elbow and pulled her away towards their work building. They had only gone ten steps when Alicia called out, "You still have to pick up the cinnamon rolls on the way home, say hi to Momo-chan for me!"

Nanoha's eyebrows went up at that, looking at her partner, "What was that about?"

Fate had stopped at the words, closed her eyes and with a sigh of weariness pinched the arch of her nose. Scrunching her eyes like a child hoping it was all a dream for a moment then opening her eyes she looked over to the woman speaking and then looked away again and began to walk rather quickly. In an odd tone of voice she said, "My cousin and sister wanted me to pick up cinnamon rolls as a welcome to the neighborhood gift for our new neighbors, but I suspect you are our new neighbor so it would be rather paradoxical to be given pastries from your own family's bakery."

"We're neighbors?" Nanoha asked confusedly.

"You said something about living near the Isumi Line, there was only one house in the area for sell and that's the one across the street from us." Fate said as she opened the door to their building then held it open to allow Nanoha entrance before her.

Nanoha was quiet during the walk back to their office trying to decide how to proceed with the conversation, 'Come on it's not like she's royalty, hell she doesn't even give off a "mightier than thou, you are not worthy to speak to the likes of me" air like Noriko.'

Once the door to their office was closed Fate spoke quietly, "Scrya-Takamachi-san, I apologize again for my sister and if my words made you uncomfortable. Please forgive Alicia, she has a tendency to behave like an unruly child but she was right in saying we both welcome you to the neighborhood and I welcome you here, if there is anything I can do to help you please feel free to ask."

"Nanoha," she blurted out, then blushing, "Please call me by my given name, we're partners and neighbors, there's no need to stand on formalities."

Now it was the blonde's turn to blush, she didn't even dare make eye contact but hurried over to her desk and while shuffling documents finally responded, "Okay, then call me Fate."

~"~"~"~"~"~

"Vi-chan!" a voice rang out in the hallway, it was Rio another of Einhart's friends whom she had introduced her to earlier in the day. The young blonde turned to smile and made her way through the crowded hallway to the purple haired girl. "Hey Rio-chan, where is Ein-chan?"

The girl giggled, "She got held back by Scaglietti-sensei, she fell asleep in his class and started snoring. I can't blame her it was really boring today, he is such a weirdo."

Vivio's brow crinkled, "He's the science teacher right? I have him after lunch, everyone tells me he's like a mad scientist and really creepy."

A pair of hands clamped themselves over the blonde's eyes and a soft voice asked, "Guess who?"

"Um, that crazy girl who's been following me around all day, Ein-chan!" she teased her friend.

The hands left her eyes and caught her cheeks instead, pinching them the soft voice now took on a peeved tone, "Crazy huh? Following someone around, making me sound like a stalker, blondie here is getting awful full of herself?"

She let out a small whimper of pain and grabbed at the hands pulling her cheeks, "Ah, I'm sorry Einhart-san!"

The hands released her immediately and then spun her around, the elegantly beautiful girl's face had a frown of concern, and the hands that had been pinching before were now rubbing gently, "I'm sorry Vi-chan did I hurt you? I was just teasing you back but I know I can get carried away."

Vivio felt her heart skip a beat, Einhart Stratos was one of the most popular girls in school, after they separated for class earlier all her new classmates pounced on her asking of course about where she came from but then went on to ask how well she knew Stratos-sama. 'Sama' the word echoed in Vivio's head as the other students went on to innumerate her charms and abilities; the best at athletics, beating the guys even. The top student grades wise, she even tutored other students sometimes. And she had a remarkable talent for painting, she has already won a scholarship to the Kyoto University of Art and Design just like her famous cousin. Then there was the obvious fact that she was the hottest girl in the school, with her measurements 82cm-58cm-80cm being proclaimed by the love-struck, or was that lust-struck?

She was also very picky when it came to friends, only two girls in their year could really count themselves her friend and another two in second year. So how had the new girl gotten so friendly with the reclusive Stratos-sama? As Vivio took in the concerned look on her new friend's face she thought, 'How did I get so lucky?' Capturing the hands that were now rubbing her pink cheeks, "Really, it's okay Einhart-san."

The frown deepened and her dark mismatched eyes glowered, "Ein-chan!"

Feeling unsure about the situation, never having been all that popular Vivio looked down, "Um, is that really okay…I mean a lot of people were telling me about how popular you are and I was being really forward…I shouldn't be so…"

A hand clamped her mouth closed then another took hold of her arm and began to drag her off with their other friends following giggling. When they finally got outside and to a secluded grassy area Einhart finally released her.

Plopping on the ground she sprawled out and with a look of aggravation she stated, "I really hope you're not the type of person to take other people's opinion so seriously. We're high school students, there is nothing about me that makes me any different from anyone else, I still need oxygen, food and water just like everyone else. So don't think you need to go all polite and treat me like the other knuckleheads around here."

The two other girls who had trailed after them settled on the ground next to their friend before Rio started, "Vi-chan, please don't take all the rumors and gossip so seriously, Ein-chan is really a big dork, she acts cool most of the time and considering who her family is she kind of inherited a lot of popularity."

"I'm not a dork! You're supposed to be my friend Rio-chan," a grumpy voice mumbled.

Then the light brown haired girl Corona spoke, "I have to agree with Rio-chan you are a dork, if the kids at school saw how you act at home they probably have a heart attack from the shock. Vi-chan, to tell you the truth you probably remind this idiot of her cousin which is why she latched onto you. She has a crazy cousin-fetish…"

The girl in question clamped her friend's mouth closed as soon as the word fetish made its way out. Blushing terribly she looked at the blonde and tried to think of something to cover up the embarrassment. She had a trapped 'oh shit!' smile on her face as she stuttered, "I…I…I"

Laughter chimed out and Vivio knew that her friend was exactly who she had thought originally, a really goofy, clingy and slightly childish girl with a big heart. She walked over to the stuttering girl and knelt to hug her, "I'm sorry Ein-chan, I was being silly, but it was worth it to see you so flustered. Nyahaha, will you introduce me to your cousins after school? They sound like great people."

The silver-green haired girl released her friend and smiled, "Of course! I wanted us to come over yesterday night but you and your mom must have been out and we weren't able to get a welcome to the neighborhood present. But I know Fate-nee is getting cinnamon rolls from the best bakery in town, Midori-ya Café!, before she comes home tonight. I'll make sure both Fate-nee and Cia-chan come with me."

The blonde began to laugh again, everyone looked at her quizzically, "What's so funny Vi-chan?" Corona asked.

"My grandparents are the owners of Midori-ya Café, that's where Nanoha-mama and I were all last night. "

~"~"~"~

The day finally came to an end and Nanoha had come to the conclusion that Fate wasn't a stuck up bitch but she was a very confusing person to deal with. About ten minutes after she had completed her outline of where to take the project and Fate had accepted her suggestions or made self defense of or compromises for the work done and they had begun to work on their own then once again it was like she was working with the invisible woman. Thinking it would be nice to talk a bit so they could get better acquainted she started asking questions, but all she got back was short to the point answers, and when possible yes or no answers.

After being rebuffed with simple questions about schooling and work history she was wondering if it was even with worth trying to talk about her family. Then again that would open the topic to her own family and that wasn't one she wanted to delve into. She was about to try once more with question about local food options when Fate turned to hand her a new draft of the work they had discussed. Looking over the document she was shocked with the quickness and precision. But it was the honest request for feedback that left her confused, 'if she doesn't like me why is she asking for my opinion?'

After another quick discussion about their work Fate turned away again and once more became the invisible woman. This process happened twice more and suddenly the realization that the woman wasn't trying to freeze her came to her. Others might have interpreted her behavior as a hint to back off, but Nanoha finally decided the woman apparently didn't understand the concept of small talk, which was odd and mystifying but that was her only conclusion.

With the end of the day upon them Fate began putting materials away and saving her progress on the computer. She was about to pull out her brief case when she got a call on her cell phone. Nanoha couldn't help herself and tried to listen in on the conversation, hoping to learn something about her new co-worker.

"Hello Testarossa speaking," she answered, the phone held between her shoulder and chin while she completed the last of her tasks.

There was a tension to her shoulders as she responded to the caller,"Yes sir…yes sir…no, I'm sorry sir…yes but that will take more time…two weeks…yes sir…thank you, I'll see you then, good bye."

With a quiet snap the phone closed and Fate slid it into her jacket pocket with a tired sigh.

"Everything okay?" the auburn haired woman asked.

Fate had picked up her brief case and located her keys, at the sound of Nanoha's voice she turned to look at her, "Hmm? I'm sorry I didn't catch that?"

'You really do live in your own little world don't you Fate-chan?' she thought with a smile, out loud she voiced her question again, "Is everything okay Fate-san? You sounded stressed out."

Burgundy eyes opened wider in surprise, "Everything is fine, I have a patron who can be a little demanding is all. Well I have to be going, um…ah I'm going to your parent's café to pick up some pastries, but after that I'm going straight home, did you need a ride?"

Blinking in surprise Nanoha asked in reply, "How do you know I don't have a car?"

Fate smiled faintly, "Two observations, the first is I didn't hear a car last night or this morning. The second is I didn't notice any strange vehicles in the parking lot at lunch. So do you need a ride or will you be taking the train?"

Fate had decided she had to offer if she wanted to survive the judgment of both their families, oh she could try to leave her behind and then be "guilted" by Nanoha's parents and her sister later on. She could even hear the "pained" tones in Momoko's voice about her abandoning her daughter to the "dangers" of world. If she wanted to retain even the vestiges of her former quiet life she would have to make some concessions, find a new balance. Besides it wasn't like Nanoha was a horrible person, she was actually very pleasant… and had a strangely calming yet enticing presence.

Nanoha was surprised at the woman's attention to details, but decided to file this new puzzle piece away for further scrutinizing later. "Yes, thank you. It will give me a chance to say hello to my parents and drop off some things I have for them. I had planned to go straight there from work anyway."

They gathered their things and proceeded to the parking garage. Nanoha was suddenly nervous as Fate came to a stop next to a seriously expensive sports car. She knew about people having insanely overprotective issues regarding their vehicles, especially when they were expensive. Fate unlocked the door and opened it for Nanoha, when the woman failed to step forward she looked at her questioningly.

Nanoha felt the unspoken question, "Um is it really going to be alright for me to ride in the vehicle with you, I mean do you need me to take my shoes off or something?"

A sculpted eyebrow shot up, "Why in the world would that be necessary, it's a car, its purpose is to get one from one location to another comfortability?"

Staring at the intimidating red beast she asked, "What kind of car is that?"

Not sure why Nanoha was asking this Fate answered, "A 1990 Ferrari Testarossa. Why does that matter?"

Nanoha might not know much about cars but she recognized Ferrari and swallowed hard, "How much did it cost you?"

Sighing and rubbing her forehead Fate said, "Nanoha-san, I think I might know where you are going with this so let me short-circuit this foolishness. Yes, it is an expensive car. Yes, I love it. I wash and wax it every weekend in fact. I keep it in my garage and baby it, but it's an inanimate object. I am not one of those obsessive people who expect a car to be kept in pristine condition and will jump down your throat if you sneeze in it or something. I have met such people and they annoy me. So please get in, enjoy the ride, it runs beautifully."

Nanoha was surprised by the small speech, it was the most she had heard from the woman regarding her personal opinions on something other than work. She couldn't help but smile at the words. Fate wasn't like her in-laws, she wasn't a stuck up control freak when it came to her personal possessions. The thought that she also found such people annoying made her feel a stronger bit of kinship with the quiet woman.

Smiling softly she apologized, "Thank you, I'm sorry for causing so much trouble."

Nanoha slid into the leather interior of the vehicle and was surprised at the small toy sitting against the stick shift. It was a small plushie made to look like the blonde and was wearing a rather outrageous superhero costume. Fate saw her looking at the object and blushed before pulling it out of her hands and stuffing it in the glove compartment.

Afraid she had offended her new _friend_ she tried to apologize. "Sorry, I shouldn't have…"

"Stop," the blonde's weary voice cut her off, "Please Nanoha-san, I don't want you to keep apologizing to me. You didn't do anything wrong, that silly thing was put in here by my cousin and it embarrassed me for you to see it. I fear my family and yours for that matter will likely keep embarrassing me, they all seem to find enjoyment in seeing me squirm. As long as you don't join in then I shall be quite happy."

"They embarrass you too? My mom and dad?" Nanoha couldn't help asking.

"Yes, your mother especially likes to make me blush. Your father likes to tease me and trick me into doing things for him. He got me to paint a mural in the café with nothing more than…ah never mind," Fate answered as she gave her steering wheel a tension relieving squeeze.

She heard giggling at that, looking at her seatmate she could see a pair of sapphires twinkling with humor and for an instant the beautiful woman looked like a mischievous child. Fate felt something stir in her chest, she'd felt it a couple times throughout the day with this woman and wasn't sure what it meant. But stronger than the fluttering feeling was the fear that her life was about to be turned upside down.

Looking away again to concentrate on the road Fate asked wearily, "Am I to assume you are going to join the bandwagon and make my life even more uncomfortable?"

The laughter died at that and a surprisingly tender voice said, "No, I won't do that. I would rather you smile. I was laughing at the thought that we're both victims of my parents, I know they can be pretty overwhelming. I guess even beautiful blondes aren't safe from teasing."

Fate's body tensed, hands gripped the steering wheel tightly causing her knuckles to whiten for a moment before she forced herself to relax.

"I'm not beautiful," Fate stated, her voice was firm but soft.

There was a deafening silence in the vehicle as they had arrived at the café. Fate immediately pulled into a space, parked and exited the car. She was halfway to the entrance before Nanoha even moved. The soft refute wasn't the kind she was used to hearing. She'd complimented beautiful women before and the denials they had given were of the type that demanded the speaker to go on to "convince" the listener of their _honest_ admiration. Fate had denied her beauty as if there was some hidden flaw that she couldn't see that would destroy the illusion once discovered. Nanoha climbed out of the vehicle carefully and followed her companion, the noise of the café barely audible over the cacophony of her mind.

"Nanoha-chan!" a bright voice called out to her from behind the counter, the black haired woman who wore glasses already had a grip on Fate's arm holding her tight in place.

Nanoha made her way through the crowd to her sister and received a one armed hug which pulled her closer to Fate who was sporting a resigned smile in regards to the manhandling. It appeared Fate was used to her family's outrageous behavior and had learned it was better to grin and bear it than try to escape and be tackled to the ground.

Then she heard her father's stern voice, "Fate-chan, Nanoha, where are the children?"

Confused Nanoha frowned to herself, 'Children? Huh? I only have Vivio so where does the plural come in?'

Clarifying the situation Fate replied earnestly, "Ein-chan is at home sir, we came straight here from work. Ein-chan threatened me this morning that she wouldn't let me in the house without a bag of cinnamon rolls as toll. I promise I'll bring her by this weekend."

The strict façade faded and his face broke into a smile as he pulled the blonde into a hug then released her to hug his daughter. Nanoha was surprised again, she was second to the blonde in order of hugs, 'dad must really like her.'

Then she heard her mother, "Girls! You came together, that's wonderful."

Once again Fate received the first hug then Nanoha was clasped tightly.

"We thought you might be Fate-chan's new partner but didn't want to spoil the surprise. Isn't she the cutest little thing?"

The cute _little_ thing was nearly three inches taller than her and her mother. Together they turned to look at the blonde, Fate was standing at attention listening intently to her father talk. The look of dawning horror on her face made Nanoha step over and ask her father rather frostily, "Daddy you aren't teasing Fate-san are you?"

Her father gulped and smiled innocently, "Of course not sweetie pie, I was just asking Fate-chan to keep an eye out for you. She is a very responsible and kind person so I want you two to be friends, I wouldn't do anything to…"

Nanoha had just raised her eyebrow, giving him a look so reminiscent of her mother's you-are-in-trouble look he shut up and actually hid behind the blonde. Fate actually twitched a small smile at his antics before turning to Nanoha with a look of gratitude.

In her calming soft voice she said, "Thank you Nanoha-san, but don't get too upset with him, he was just being an overprotective father. It was actually very sweet… in a very intimidating way."

Shiro had begun to relax at her words until that last bit and flinched before looking at his daughter with concern. Fate had taken a step out of the way to allow Nanoha free access to her father and as the auburn haired woman began to make her way to her father he lifted his hands before her in a placating gesture. "Now, now Nanoha…please?"

Nanoha leaned in and kissed his cheek before grinning, "Just like that Fate-san? Very sweet in a very intimidating way."

Fate had taken in the display with more than a hint of concern as the Takamachi family was a very physically demonstrative family. Always hugging and kissing, giving pats on the back or arm. She never got out of the building without at least two embraces from everyone. Then when they were teasing each other a small smack to the head or punch to the arm wasn't unusual. Nothing that would leave a mark or even really hurt, just something to make an emphasis to the words spoken. So when Nanoha teased her father making him think she was going to, well Fate wasn't sure what, but instead tricked him with behavior in line with Fate's prior description it made her laugh. The sound was soft like the tinkling of bells and just as sweet. Everyone nearby stopped what they were doing and looked at her flabbergasted, she had never laughed before them, oh a soft "ha" noise had escaped her but nothing like this.

She smiled a real warm smile normally reserved for her family and students, it lit up her face making her look even more like an angel. Her burgundy eyes held humored amusement and seemed like warm spiced-wine to Nanoha, making her feel intoxicated with delight. 'Oh, I knew it, she really does look best smiling, she is so very beautiful no matter what she may say. I promise Fate-chan I will make you smile more, laugh more, someone wonderful like you deserves happiness.' Their eyes locked and for a brief moment it seemed like there was no one else in the world. Then the world intruded roughly in the form of Miyuki jump hugging the blonde.

"Oh Fate-chan you are just the cutest thing ever! Nanoha-chan you better take good care of her at work okay, she's really shy so don't think she's rude or anything stupid like that." Her sister planted a warm kiss on the blushing woman's cheek and it looked like she was about to blow a gasket if this kept on.

Nanoha felt an unexpected surge of jealousy at the kiss, she wanted to yank the blonde out of her sister's hands and yell "mine!" like an angry five year old. She didn't but _because_ she didn't want the blonde to suffer any further she gently pulled her away and released her to stand on her own before replying to her sister, "Fate-san and I will work well with each other."

"Pish, Call her Fate-chan, she's like a cute little puppy," Miyuki said as she squeezed the woman's face making her mouth pucker up and began to lean in again.

Nanoha's heart nearly burst out of her chest, without thinking she jumped forward and knocked her sister aside. "Don't touch her!"

Again the room at large turned to look at the outburst and Nanoha felt heat flood her face. Miyuki's face took on a sly wicked look for a brief moment then straightened out into a normal smile, "Good Nano-chan, I knew I could trust you to take care of Fate-chan."

Nanoha wished the floor would open up and swallow her up at that moment. There was no reply she could make that wouldn't make the situation worst. Then her mother came to her rescue or at least that's what she thought.

With a smirk Momoko said, "Nanoha, you still need to learn to share I see, don't worry your sister has no intentions of stealing her away from you."

It was at that moment Nanoha decided the saying, kicking someone while they were down, could apply to everything her family had ever done to her. What in the world would Fate think of her after this night she didn't even want to imagine. Not even the hug she received from her mother after this tease was enough to sooth the sting to her pride.

Fate wasn't sure what was going on, all she knew was she was now the subject of discussion and was somehow being used to tease Nanoha. Seeing how they had the attention of most of the patrons she decided it would be best to deflect it by changing the subject.

Putting on her best puppy dog eyes she addressed the elder Takamachi women, "Momoko-san, Miyuki-san, I need to bring home some cinnamon rolls, could you pack up a dozen with extra icing?"

Momoko smiled at her and patting her face before catching hold of her oldest daughter dragging her back behind the counter. Shiro followed them and soon the family of bakers was back to filling orders and acting professionally. Nanoha was thrown by this, her family normally never backed off once they had you against the ropes. The package of baked goods was made up and handed over the counter.

Fate made to pull out her wallet and Momoko waved her away, "You're practically family Fate-chan, don't worry about it this time. We _will_ see you again Saturday right?"

Fate didn't argue and nodded to the older woman, "Yes ma'am, Cia-nee and Ein-chan are very excited about having a family luncheon, we plan to go to the movies afterwards."

"Good dear, it's so nice to see the three of you together," then the older auburn haired woman smiled to her daughter, "You should bring Vivio-chan over this weekend also, we need more time to spoil our granddaughter properly."

"Yes Mama, I'll talk to her about it when I get home."

"Momoko-san, Shiro-san, Miyuki-san, thank you and have a good evening," Fate said in farewell then bowed her head.

All three of them beamed at her, and bid her a good night. Thankfully they didn't come back around to hug her, it seemed like they knew they had already pushed her to her limits and didn't want to made her feel uncomfortable. Nanoha was surprised they let her go just as easily once she passed over a packet from her briefcase. Instead they made do with blowing her kisses and reminding her to come back soon. The two women left the café and quietly walked back to the car.

Settling into the soft leather seat Nanoha sighed out a breath of relief, "That was bizarre, they never let me go without making my life miserable for at least thirty minutes and embarrassing me until I want to crawl under a rock and die."

Fate hummed at that, "Really and I thought I had it bad. Usually they just tease me until I blush for a few minutes then gossip for a while. Though your sister really was being more physical with me than usual, thank you for stopping her, I was really worried she was going to kiss me. On the lips I mean, they have all kissed me at one point or another but never on the lips."

They were driving sedately home, and Nanoha looked out blindly through her window. She thought about Fate's words and found she was happy and disturbed by the reason for that feeling. When she learned her sister had never kissed Fate on the lips it allowed the knot in her stomach to loosen.

Playing with her hands she asked, "Are you very close with them? I haven't seen them in years, I never had the time."

"Not really, I mean I consider them friends but I… I'm not very good at being social, they tend to overwhelm me if I spend more than a few minutes talking with them." She wasn't sure why she was admitting that, maybe because she wanted Nanoha to know her family was important to her even if she hadn't opened up to them fully.

"You're not alone there, even when I lived with them they were always…sigh…happy together, it was easy to see they were always having fun." She felt the familiar bubble of loneliness rise to the surface.

Fate felt Nanoha's mood shift, there was a hint of pain in her voice, of melancholy and loneliness when she spoke about her family. The blonde was confused by this, the Takamachis always seemed to be so happy, shouldn't all the members share in that contentment?

"I…" she didn't know what she was going to say, she just wanted the auburn haired woman to smile, the gloomy mood rolling off her was unsettling.

"Hmm?" Dull sapphire eyes looking at her quizzically.

It was that look that made her decide to be honest, "I know sometimes our families can appear to be doing alright without us, like if we disappear they'd move on and just forget us. But that's not true, your family loves you a great deal, they talk about you all the time. Miyuki-san especially, she treats me like a little sister because she has missed you so much."

Nanoha frowned at the words, "What about Kyoya-nii? Don't they always hang out together, don't they seem to get wrapped up with what's happening at the dojo?"

It felt strange to defend the woman's family from her but necessary, "Kyoya-san seems to be lonely and guilty at times. When he talks about you he seems to think he didn't do enough for you as a child, if he had just spent more time with you maybe you wouldn't have ended up marrying so young. He doesn't spend as much time at the bakery as your sister, and they don't seem to get along very well sometimes. They argue over little things, your sister hasn't gone to the dojo in a few years, gave it up to help in the café. As happy as they all are most of the time it feels like there was something missing. Like a missing tooth, the tongue keeps going back to touch the gap, sometimes making it bleed."

Nanoha felt her heart quiver, she wanted to believe her family had missed her, that they hadn't just moved on and forgotten her. Since returning she had gone to the bakery nearly every day and had felt a stranger amongst her family, but tonight with Fate there it was like she had time traveled back to her childhood and was once again one of them. It was like Fate had been the bridge that allowed her to see them as they had been so many years ago.

The car came to a stop in front of her home, seeing the lights weren't on she frowned as she looked at her watch. It wasn't late yet, only six o'clock but she had told Vivio to turn on the porch light when she got home. Fate hit the garage door opener and pulled the car in. She had noticed the dark house too, she suspected she knew where Nanoha's missing daughter was. "Nanoha-san, would you and your daughter like to stay for dinner?"

"I have to find her first," she replied worriedly.

"Come into the house, I have a feeling she's closer than you may think."

~"~"~"~"~"~

"Hey Cia-chan! It's my turn, come on move!" Nanoha heard an unfamiliar voice call out and the sounds of a scuffle and the unique sound of her daughter's laughter.

Fate took hold of her arm to stop her from entering the living room making Nanoha turn to look at her, "Nanoha-san, I just want to apologize in advance for anything my family may do or say, they are…hmm," she broke off trying to find the right word, other than insane.

"It's okay Fate-san, you put up with my family's silliness, there's no reason I can't put up with your family's silliness too," she reassured the frazzled blonde.

They walked down the hallway and came to the living room, two blondes and a mint green haired girl were playing a video game. Well the two blondes were and the other girl was hopping back and forth messing with the older blonde's gamepad while trying to avoid getting hit. They seemed to be in their own little world, Nanoha noticed how happy her daughter was with these near strangers. Their life before hadn't had much room for games or playing around, the Scrya family matriarch Noriko hadn't much tolerance for "silliness."

Fate made her way to the pair half playing half fighting and caught them both by the ear, "What have I told you two about fighting? Do you want to hurt yourselves or our guest with your flailing arms?"

Both her charges stopped dead at the words and the slight pressure on their respective ears. The blonde twin decided to make things worse for herself by flinging herself on her sister causing them both to fall ungracefully onto the couch. A soft "uff" noise was heard then the slightly higher pitched voice of Alicia cried out, "Imōto-chan! You're home, I missed you sooo much!"

Groaning, "Cia-nee we had lunch together, you haven't had enough time to miss me yet."

The sister rubbed their cheeks against each other like a kitten, "But I always miss my imōto. It's so lonely without you around."

Fate decided the only thing to do was to tickle her sister or she'd never get off. Jamming her forefingers into the sides of her sister's ribs caused the woman to squeak and fall off her and the couch. The two teens and Nanoha had been watching the byplay and laughed at the interaction.

"Nanoha-mama, I knew Ein-chan was right, once I told her where you work she just knew you had to be Fate-sama's partner." Vivio chirruped happily as she came around the couch to hug her mother.

Fate stood up at this and cleared her throat making the mother-daughter pair turn to look at her, "Hello, I'm Fate Testarossa, please don't use sama when addressing me, san is fine."

"Umh! I'm Scrya-Takamachi Vivio, it's very nice to meet you. Your cousin and sister have told me so much about you. I hope it's not too presumptuous to ask, but can I see some of your artwork? Ein-chan and Cia-chan showed the works hanging up in the house but told me no one was allowed to go into your workroom without your permission," the girl asked as she practically hummed with excitement.

Fate blinked at the 1000 watt smile and exuberance oozing from the girl. She couldn't help thinking, 'oh yeah this kid is a Takamachi, hyperactive as the day is long.' Mentally shaking herself she decided it was best to go along with current, "Of course, please follow me upstairs," turning to Nanoha, "did you want to see this too Nanoha-san?"

Nanoha gave her a warm smile at the offer, Fate felt that tingling feeling again and decided to escape the strange sensation by leading the two females to her work room and avoiding eye contact for awhile. This day was turning out to be even more emotionally fatiguing then she had anticipated. Right now looking at her work would be a welcome comfort as it was the one thing she felt competent in. Taking a small key ring out of her pocket she unlocked the door and reached in to flick on the lights.

The room was originally two rooms but had been converted into a permanent work space for Fate. A large drafting table and an impressive computer with accessories took up the entire back end of the room. There were multiple easels set up with partially completed paintings spaced out around the room. On the walls near each were sketches and photographs pinned as guides or inspiration with track lighting positioned over each space. The walk-in closet's doors had been removed and rows of paints and various drawing and painting supplies were neatly arranged could be clearly seen. Drying racks and shelving for finished work were installed running up the closet walls. There was even a working wash basin with both hot and cold running water. Nanoha's jaw dropped at the insane amount of money that had to have been invested in such a room. It was as if her wildest dreams had been fulfilled, no she thought this room was beyond even that.

Her daughter hopped from one easel to the next staring avidly at each before moving on, the vibrant colors attracting the girl like a magpie. She knew her daughter was interested in painting but was too self-conscious to actually display her own work. Nanoha had tried to teach her but it had always ended with Vivio getting frustrated and destroying the painting. Fate was now talking with the girl about some point of interest within the picture, she was gesturing and speaking quite easily. Then she held up a hand and went to the storeroom/closet and pulled out a clean canvas, paint brush and palette before returning to the girl. She poured out some paint from the bottles sitting next to the easel then handed both the palette and brush to Vivio. Picking up her work-in-progress she sat it against the wall before settling the clean canvas onto the easel. She then gave the girl some instructions, Nanoha saw her daughter's face pale and her body began to turn into itself. Fate put a gentle hand on her shoulder and said something very softly into her ear.

Nanoha was surprised when Vivio nodded and stepped forward to make a tentative brush stroke. Fate then took her hand and repositioned it on the brush then guided her into another stroke. Vivio then tried again and was rewarded with a warm smile. The girl's face immediately flooded with color and was suddenly very self-conscious once again. Fate patted her on the head and nudged her attention back to the canvas. Before long the canvas was filled with various strokes in various bright colors. Vivio beamed at the work, it appeared very modernistic and strangely hypnotizing. They had been working together for nearly a half hour, the longest Vivio had ever taken instruction from anyone and it hadn't ended in tears. Nanoha felt jealousy creep up on her, how was it possible that the blonde woman had been able to reach her daughter so easily?

"She's really good at that, right?" A soft voice asked Nanoha suddenly making her jump.

She turned to look at the speaker and saw it was the teenage girl from downstairs, "Yes, she's a great artist. Um I'm Scrya-Takamachi Nanoha, nice to meet you."

The girl chuckled at that, "Sorry, I'm Stratos Einhart, I'm technically Fate-nee's cousin, but she and Cia-chan are more like big sisters to me. Uh, I meant she's good at teaching by the way. She isn't very good at most social things but teaching people how to paint or draw is her forte."

"Hmm, How did that come about?" she asked with more curiosity than she really wanted to admit.

"Fate-nee will have to tell you about that sorry, just know that she isn't trying to be rude or cold to you if try to make friends with her. She doesn't really understand other adults very well, at least the stuff adults normally talk about, she lives in her own little world of art." The girl replied while rubbing her neck in a nervous gesture.

"Ah, well I'll keep that in mind when working with her. You know it's strange my family said something similar to me earlier when we were at the bakery."

"Ha, was it your mom or sister?"

"My sister, why do you ask?" she asked wondering if there was something _more_ going on between the blonde and her sister.

"Well, if it was your mom then it's because she understands Fate-nee is like a shy five year, which is about right when I think about her naivety when it comes to most adult things. But since it was your sister it's because she practically had to sit on my cousin to get her to talk. Fate-nee made the mistake of trying to run away when your sister decided she was tired of her stone-walling and was pretty much wrestled to the ground and tickled until she spilled the beans, so she knows more than most about my dear cousin. Your sister is very persistent, I hope you're not as bad or Fate-nee may quit her job. She can normally only handle Takamachis for a few minutes before she is burnt out."

"No, I'm not like my sister, at least not to the point of physically accosting people until they spill their secrets. When I was younger maybe but now I have more self control," then thinking about what Fate has suffered at the hands of her sister laughed, "nyahaha poor Fate-san."

"Well, Cia-chan ordered Chinese food, it was just delivered so I think it's time to break up this impromptu art lesson, otherwise Fate-nee will have Vi-chan working all night."

Walking over to the two blondes Einhart clamped her arms around her cousin and began to whine, "Fate-nee, come on put the art stuff away, it's time to eat."

Fate looked over her shoulder and down at her cousin smiling at the childish behavior, sliding an arm around the girl she pulled her forward and hugged her properly. "Oh, did you and Cia-nee burn down my kitchen again?"

The girl giggled at that, "No, we ordered Chinese food, come on before Cia-chan eats everything."

Vivio was surprised at the gentle interaction between Fate and Einhart, she had spent the last two hours listening to the teen bicker and tease her other cousin and had assumed she'd treat Fate in the same manner. "You really do have a cousin-fetish huh Ein-chan?"

The girl choked and Fate laughed at this, "Oh looks like she's got you pegged." Then softened the tease by hugging the girl tighter and placing a kiss on her forehead.

Einhart was blushing like a tomato and pulled away muttering about being hungry and retreating out of the room. Fate watched her go with a faint smile on her face then turned to Vivio, "let's clean up then we can head down for dinner.

~"~"~"~"~"~

Dinner was a noisy affair, the two teens telling their seniors of their day together, and then turning on the elder blonde twin to tease her mercilessly. Causing her in turn to look to her sister for protection from the "bullies." Fate quietly admonished the girls before adding her own barb on how Alicia was a "big baby" who can't take too much teasing. Bringing laughter to everyone who saw the hurt look on the elder twin's face. Fate then excused herself as she wanted to take a bath before bed. With a tired smile she bowed herself out telling the guests to feel free to stay and spend more time with the others.

Nanoha decided now was a good time to leave, unsure how Alicia would behave without her sister in the room. Vivio was a bit disappointed at having to go but knew better than to try to beg to stay longer. Einhart told her they would see each other again the next day and asked if it would be okay with Nanoha-san if they looked around town for a while after school. Nanoha gave her permission and made a mental note to give her daughter some money so they could get something during their outing. The walk back to their home was pleasantly quiet and once they got inside Vivio caught her mother around the waist in a tight hug, "Thank you Nanoha-mama for bring us here, this city, all my new friends, it's wonderful."

Nanoha felt herself relax, she hadn't been sure the move had been a good idea but they had both needed to get away from the Scrya family and coming home was the only idea of where to go that came to her. This day they had both made strides towards a new life without fussy people breathing down their necks. "I'm glad you're happy here, I think we'll both be more comfortable now."

"Uhm! I'm going to take a bath before going to bed, I love you. Night-Night."


	2. Chapter 2: Friendship

**A/N: Please read and review, it gets rather depressing to see the hits but no reviews to tell me if y'all like what I'm doing.**

 **Reply to Reviewers:**

 ***The truth behind Nanoha and Vivio's relationship will be revealed in the next chapter so please keep reading. Hint, could an eleven year old have a baby? Well maybe but this is Nanoha so...**

 ***About pairings...I really don't know who I'd like to pair Alicia with, leaning towards an unconventional pairing with Vita, or going the** _ **safer route**_ **with Ginga or Carim. I will have some interaction between Hayate and Alicia but they will not be a pairing, I see them as co-conspirators not lovers. Any thoughts on this matter are welcome.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own nor do I make a claim of ownership of the MGLN characters or universe. I make no profit from my writing.**

 **A/N 2/1/17: Big thanks to Elfbs for helping to edit this chapter. I am still making headway on the newest chapter while working on these edits. I hope everyone likes the few tweaks I have made in cleaning this up.**

 **~"~"~"~**

 **Chapter Two: Friendship**

Nanoha had been told no one has lasted more than a month as Fate's partner, being burnt out by working with someone so unsettling. While the woman was strange, quiet and barely there when they were working separately, during the times they collaborated she saw glints of a warm person that normally came out only in front of their families. She wondered at the difference, how long would it be before she was as forthright with her as she was with these others? To say it hurt that her sister and brother could elicit the occasional warm smile or her parents a gentle softening to her features when they showered on her their attentions would be an understatement. Fate barely made eye contact with her, always focusing on the document at hand or computer screen as she spoke.

The celebrated one month mark came and their director called them in to review their work and determine if there were any issues between the pair. The affable man looked over their project nodding happily over the progress then looked up at them smiling, "So Nanoha-san how are you settling in?"

Trying not to flick her eyes over to the silently sitting Fate she smiled and replied, "Very well sir, I'm very happy with how my new position has turned out."

Nodding and smiling in his cordial manner the older man said, "Good, good, I'm happy to hear that. Our dear Fate-san is a bit of an eccentric so it's nice to finally have found someone who can work well with her."

Nanoha felt a stab of anger at that, Fate wasn't an eccentric, if anything she was just too diligent in her work, to the point that no one was able to reach inside her bubble. "Well," she started before glancing at the woman in question. She was still sitting there placidly, taking no offense at their superior's words. "I must say Fate-san is a most remarkable artist, she has definitely taught me a lot in the past month."

The placid surface of Fate's face seemed to ripple for a moment into a frown before the mask was firmly back in place, "Yanagi-san, I feel Nanoha-san is being far too humble, she has added greatly to this project, I know I would not have been able to come up with such a design on my own. I must thank you both for allowing me to work with such a talented artist."

Yanagi's face practically split in a wide grin, this was the most he had ever heard from his top designer. "Wonderful-wonderful, well I won't keep you two any longer. You both have work to do, Nanoha-san if there is anything you need please feel free to ask, my door is always open."

~"~"~"~

Nanoha felt conflicted, she was happy Fate had said what she had to their supervisor but at the same time she had seen the work the woman had completed on her own and was sure she could have handled the project all on her own. Was she really pulling her weight on the project or just riding on the woman's coattails?

Sighing she sat at her desk and found herself calling out, "Fate-san?"

The blonde was looking at her computer again and turned to look at her, well just off to the side of her, it seemed like she had a hard time looking her in the face. "Yes, Nanoha-san?"

Brow crinkling at the avoidance Nanoha really had to ask, "Do you really need a partner?"

The woman appeared taken aback by the question, "That's not my decision, but I must say working with you has been…ah…um," she trailed off.

"Never mind I've put you on the spot, I just don't understand why you aren't working alone, you seem to prefer to work solo."

"No, that's not true. I only do my best work when I…I have people I can trust around me. If I didn't have my sister and Ein-chan at home I don't know if I'd be able to paint half as well. Then there's here, since you came I find it easier to," she began to squirm and looked down at her hands, "I find it easier to come up with ideas since I know you'll give me honest feedback. I used to have to second guess things a lot, I'd go through dozens of iterations before I settled on something I felt would be acceptable. You being here means a lot to me, you are a great artist, and very professional. I know you wouldn't do anything to ruin the project."

Nanoha felt gratified by Fate's words, she could see how hard it was for her to speak about her feelings and that made each word more meaningful. "Fate-san, thank you, I'm glad you feel comfortable working with me. It seems like I'm causing you more trouble than I'm worth most days."

Fate's head snapped up at that, there was a look of determination in her eyes but still not quite making eye contact, "You should never say something like that, you are no trouble. If anyone's troublesome that's me, I don't know what to do or say a lot of the time. I know I can make people very uncomfortable. The others don't think I know what they say about me behind my back but there's nothing I can do to change the way I'm."

There was a flickering of pain in ruby eyes as the blonde spoke, responding to it Nanoha softened her tone to ask, "Fate-san, why are you so shy and closed with other people? I would think someone as talented and beautiful as you would have more self-confidence."

Fate didn't want to talk about her past, she didn't want to deal with the pity or other people's perceptions of her brokenness, it was easier to let them think she was a stuck up bitch, at least then they didn't mess with her.

Turning away from the auburn haired woman she stared at her computer and replied coolly, "I…I really don't want to talk about that, it's rather personal. But understand I like my quiet life, I really don't want or need the attention people shower on my sister."

Sensing the walls between them thicken and hating it Nanoha reached out, "Fate-san, look me in the eyes."

The blonde shuddered then took a deep breath before turning to open her eyes and look Nanoha straight on. The moment fire and ice met a surge of electricity shot through them, 'oh, this is why she hasn't wanted to make eye contact.' Nanoha suddenly felt the room recede and it was only them two, her heart pounding as if she was running a marathon. The auburn haired beauty's feet seemed to have a mind of their own bringing her closer to the seated blonde. She didn't know what she was doing but the magnetism between their eyes had pulled her forward and now her hand was reaching out.

The blaring, "RING…RING….RING," of Fate's telephone halted all action. Their eyes broke, and rational thought had Nanoha closing her hand in a fist and bring it down to her side as if she could hide her visceral reaction. Fate turned to look at the phone and after a moment to collect her scattering emotions she reached out to pick up the offending object.

"Testarossa speaking…Yes…yes…oh god what happened? ... Are they okay?...Thank goodness…Nakajima-san and his elder daughter are out of the country at this time…I'll be there in thirty minutes, which hospital?...Thank you, please tell them I'm on my way."

She quickly hung up the phone then dialed her boss' office.

"Yanagi-san, this is Testarossa, I need to take a few hours of personal leave due to a family emergency… Nothing too serious sir, I need to pick up my ward from the hospital… She broke her ankle in an accident… I'll be back after lunch, thank you sir."

Without turning to look at the stunned woman beside her she reached down to her purse and then stood up to exit the room. "I'm sorry Nanoha-san but I have to step out for a bit, I'll be back in a few hours," then left without looking back.

~"~"~"~

Fate had known Subaru Nakajima and Teana Lanster for nearly four years, when she made her first school presentations and had found the two teens' abilities quite remarkable and decided to take them on as students. Subaru's father, Genya was the widowed father of two daughters and had taken in the orphaned friend of his youngest child so they sort of came as a set, a rather unexpected set at that. Subaru was a rambunctious extrovert and Teana a quietly serious introvert.

After taking on the two younger girls as students it became clear to her Genya needed help in their care. After much internal debating she finally offered to be Teana's official legal guardian and to care for the girls whenever Genya and Ginga, his elder daughter, were away on business. Teana and Fate were not as close as they could be as both women were too introverted to develop an open relationship but there was a great deal of mutual respect and trust. Driving home Fate thanked the heavens both girls were okay.

After parking her sports car in the attached garage she walked around the house to a shed set against the house, unlocking the door she entered and found the minivan she and Cia had purchased two years before when it became clear a more capacious vehicle would be needed to transport her students and equipment. Pulling out the mammoth she drove as quickly as possible to the hospital and her wayward students.

~"~"~"~

"Ne, ne Tea-chan do you think Fate-san is going to be upset with us?" a blue haired girl asked her friend worriedly.

"No, I think she'll be worried. This is all your fault, if you'd just have moved the ladder like a normal person we wouldn't have fallen and nearly broken our necks. I hope she makes you do extra duties as punishment, but it's more likely she'll try to pamper us," the redheaded girl grumbled in reply.

Then a tall blonde walked into the lobby where they were seated saw them and sighed in relief, "Tea-chan, Su-chan are you okay?"

Subaru jumped up then winched at the pain in her back before pushing that aside to greet her mentor with a strong hug. "Thanks for coming so quickly. We're okay, just a bit banged up right Tea-chan?"

"No thanks to you!" she bemoaned before using her crutches to swing to her feet.

Fate felt a fleeting smile cross her lips at the exchange, 'yeah they're okay, if they can fight like this still.' Deciding it'd be best to get them both home as soon as possible she reached for their school bags and ushered them out to the parking lot. The entire ride to the Nakajima residence the girls bickered over the actual cause of the accident and down played the repercussions.

She sent in Subaru to pick up some clothes and personal items that would be needed for the three days until Genya and Ginga returned and could take over the monitoring of the dastardly duo. Then she stopped for a quick take-out meal for them before returning to her own home and settling the pair into the spare bedroom and eating. "I'll be home around five, Ein-chan should be back about four with a friend. Please don't do anything to over excite the pair, they already have a tendency to get into trouble when they're alone so they don't need your help to make things worse," she said looking at Subaru in particular.

Teana shifted to sit up straighter on the couch, "I'll make sure they don't get into trouble Fate-san, don't worry."

~"~"~"~

When Fate returned to the office she felt her stomach tighten at the thought of what had nearly happened earlier, Nanoha was going to touch her. It had taken her awhile to get use to the Takamachi family's attention, would she now be subject to that same kind attention at work? But the thought that had her most discombobulated was the realization she had _wanted_ Nanoha to touch her.

Nanoha in the meantime was wrestling with her own conflicted emotions. She knew back in school that she wasn't completely straight, had even toyed with the idea of dating a few girls but in the end she'd decided to take the easy way out and accepted her best male friend's confession. When she finally realized she wanted out of the relationship she had found herself pregnant and suddenly married to prevent scandal. 'Stupid, stupid Nanoha, she's your co-worker. If there's a worse idea than trying to have a romantic relationship with your co-worker, it's having one with your obviously socially awkward co-worker no matter how attractive she is.'

Both women resolved in their own minds to minimize the event and carry on as if it hadn't happened. Fate slid back into the office and immediately jumped back into their shared work and Nanoha without missing a beat picked up the out and concentrated on their project. By the time the work day came to an end they had found their equilibrium again and were able to push the little blip into the back of their minds. Fate as always offered her a ride home and it was accepted, there was no formal agreement to the carpooling but nearly every day they came and left together.

As the car pulled up to the Testarossa house the loud sound of music and the curtains askew made the blonde groan. Nanoha looked at her co-worker questionably and saw a look of resignation on her normally placid face. "Is everything okay Fate-san?"

Sighing, "Unfortunately no, I believe I do not want to know what's going on in my home as I'm sure that the sight of at least three hyperactive fools making a mess of my home is awaiting me."

"Does that number include Vivio?" Nanoha asked with concern.

"No, but it is likely that my sister, cousin and student are being a bad influence on her as we speak," she replied tiredly as she pulled her vehicle into the garage.

Getting out of the car and once more entering the normally neat and orderly home of the blonde they found a number of pictures on the walls now askew and items knocked on the ground. Coming into the living room a blue haired girl was being cornered by two blondes while Einhart was standing back to make sure she didn't bolt right through them. On what had once been a sofa was a redheaded girl sitting on the base as the cushions were now flung around the room. Fate felt her eye twitch, why couldn't her family behave like civilized beings, it seemed every other day she was cleaning up some mess they were causing.

Walking over to the stereo she turned off the blaring music making the room at large turn to see what was going on. The blue haired girl seeing Fate made a break for freedom and rushed over to her and clung onto her protector.

Breathless she whined, "Ne, ne Fate-san they were trying to make me…"

With a loud, 'Whack!' the older twin smacked the girl on the head, "Keep quiet or do you want to get us all in trouble?"

Fate looked at her sister scandalized by the behavior; it was one thing to gently tease the girls but never to strike them. Pulling the girl behind her she glared at her sister, "I don't know what in the world was going on before I got here and I really don't care. The only thing I _do_ care about is why you think it's alright to hit another person like that?"

Alicia took two steps back feeling the menacing aura coming from her sister, it wasn't often her sister got angry but when she did it was every man for themselves. "I…I… I'm sorry. Um girls why don't we get everything cleaned up while Fate gets changed."

Fate took a hold of her sister's arm and with a look that said 'don't bother trying to escape it'll only make things worse' she dragged her out of the room.

The resounding silence that filled the room with the exiting blondes caused an awkward moment before good manners kicked in. The red haired girl stood on her one good foot and with formal bow introduced herself, "How do you do? My name is Lanster Teana, I am one of Fate-sensei's students."

With a rather exuberant nudge which almost had the girl toppling the blue haired girl added, "She's also Fate-san's ward."

Glaring at her friend she said, "I am no longer a child so that doesn't count. Now stop being rude and introduce yourself."

With an embarrassed smile the girl turned to the newcomer and gave a clumsy bow before introducing herself, "Hi, my name is Nakajima Subaru. I am also one of Fate-sensei's students, um… ah are you Fate-sensei's coworker?"

The redhead huffed and took a seat on the couch again as Einhart had replaced the cushions, "You could have just let her introduce herself, no need to get all nosy."

Unable to keep her face straight in the presence of the bickering paid Nanoha laughed, "Nyahaha you two must keep Fate-san on her toes. Now let me introduce myself. It is nice to meet you both, I am Scyra-Takamachi Nanoha. I am indeed Fate-san's coworker and Vivio's mother."

Head tipped to the side Subaru looked at her questioningly, "You're really young looking to be her mom. How old are you?"

The redhead jumped back up and grabbed her mouth clamping it shut, "Geezus Subaru-chan, you have zero sense. You don't ask a woman her age or point out things like that. She's an idiot Scrya-Takamachi-san, please just ignore her."

Nanoha actually found the girl's bluntness amusing but knew better than to encourage her behavior. Giving a forgiving smile and wave of the hand to dismiss the subject she received a sigh of relief from the worried redhead.

With a poke in the ribs Teana told her friend, "Now keep that mouth of yours shut and help clean up the mess you made."

Shrugging happily the blue haired girl gave Nanoha a wave then joined the other teens in straightening up the house.

It was nearly ten minutes later when the twins returned. Alicia looked like she'd been run through a wringer while Fate's normally placid look was back on her face. The teens in the meantime had nearly finished cleaning the house and were quiet as mice giving the younger twin timid smiles when she passed them. Nanoha wasn't sure how to reconcile the valkyrie-like woman who had just turned her normally confident to the point of annoying sister into a whimpering child with the quiet shy woman she normally worked with.

'Well, that was different,' Nanoha thought to herself before shaking herself from her reverie, "Vivio-chan, let's head home, I think we've caused the Testarossas enough trouble for one day."

The two fled the scene and once they got home Nanoha couldn't help but ask what had been going on before she and Fate had arrived. This was particularly of interest to her as Vivio had been an active participant.

With an awkward shrug Vivio tried to make the event sound as innocuous as possible, "Um, well Cia-chan wanted to look at Su-chan's bruises and put this really horrible smelling ointment on them, it's supposed to speed up healing."

"Hmm, I guess that's not such a bad thing, wait then why didn't Cia-san want Fate-san to know?" confused by this disconnect.

"Well it might be because the ointment turns your skin purple and is meant to be used on horses. Fate-san has expressly forbidden its use on humans, apparently Cia-chan put it on Ein-chan once and she looked like a grape for a week." Vivio couldn't help laughing at the mental picture this evoked.

"Vi! Why were you helping them then? Honestly I would have thought you'd take Fate's wishes into consideration, if you knew she didn't want it to be used." Nanoha stared at her daughter in disbelief.

"Mom, Ein-chan told me Su-chan made fun of her the entire time she was purple; I was just helping as a show of solidarity. Besides we weren't really going to put it on her, Cia-chan just made it sound like we were, she doesn't even have the ointment anymore." Vivio tried to justify her position but the look of disapproval didn't leave her mother's face.

"Um I guess I'll be going to bed without supper as punishment?" Vivio offered placatingly.

"You can and you can also count yourself grounded, you and Ein-chan will not be hanging out this weekend. I can't stop you from seeing her after school tomorrow but you can kiss your weekend goodbye." The flinty look in Nanoha's eyes telling her daughter not to even bother protesting.

~"~"~"~

The next morning Nanoha met Fate at the door and the blonde saw the teen moping in the living room before they left. Fate waved at the girl and she gave a feeble smile in return before going back to slumping on the couch.

"Nanoha-san, what's the matter with Vivio-chan?" Fate asked her co-worker as they drove to work.

"She's pouting because I grounded her for her part in yesterday's fiasco. Really, I can't believe that girl sometimes," sapphire eyes slitting in disapproval.

Fate looked over at her and couldn't help but twitch a small humored smile at the remarkable similarity in the look of disapproval Nanoha had in comparison to the one Momoko Takamachi had. She wondered if people were as scared of Nanoha's look as much as they were of her mother's, the older woman could have people digging their own graves and jumping in.

Nanoha looked over at the blonde and saw her lips twitch and finally settle into her humored look, eyes narrowing she asked, "What's so funny?"

Flattening out the small signs of her amusement Fate observed, "You are just like your mother. I swear she's the scariest woman when angry. I bet poor little Vivio-chan has to tiptoe when she upsets you."

Nanoha snorted dismissively at that, "Really I think yesterday proved you are the scarier person, you had your sister whimpering like a cowed puppy. I don't think I could make a dent in her self-assurance, she'd probably let my glares slid off like a force field."

Unable to resist teasing the woman about her similarities to her mother the blonde replied, "No, Cia-nee is just as scared of your mother as everyone else. And I think you may have a stronger aura of…hmm...malice, no that's not right… ah righteous indignation. No one stands up to a Takamachi woman's wrath."

Nanoha looked at Fate closely, there was a faint gleam of humor in her eyes, a soft curve to her lips that denoted her amusement with the situation but most telling the slight rise of her eyebrow which was present whenever she teased someone. Jaw falling open as she released a breath of disbelief, there was no way the reserved woman was actually teasing her. The faint look of amusement in ruby eyes grew as she tilted her head and raised that perfect brow a little higher.

It was that small raising of the brow that snapped her out of her normal calm reticence she had fallen into around the woman. Never having been the brunt of her teasing caused Nanoha to let fly the first thoughts to enter her mind with cute pout, "Mou! Fate-chan you're teasing me!"

Fate nearly swerved into a curb when she heard the declaration, 'Fate-chan?! What the hell!' Correcting her steering and taking a few deep breathes to calm her now pounding heart she then turned to see Nanoha had realized her own blooper and had turned bright red. Fate quickly pulled over and pressed her head to the steering wheel. She had never seen such a funny, albeit alluring, but definitely funny look of flusterment. Fate's shoulders were heaving in silent laughter which eventually broke through her restraint.

Nanoha didn't know what to think at first when the car pulled over but seeing then hearing the laughter her pout returned with a vengeance as she responded loudly, "WHAT?! It was a slip of the tongue, besides it's not that funny."

Fate's laughter redoubled at this, the perfect mask of professionalism Nanoha had been wearing since they'd met had slipped once again. She hadn't seen a glimpse of this person since that first day and now her real personality was showing in all its feisty glory. It had hurt a bit to see the woman being so formal with her family after seeing the teasing and loving manner they had all displayed that first day, why had they regressed?

The blonde wiped the tears from her eyes that had come from her laughing fit and choked back the amusement still tickling her. This other person hidden behind the formality was more attractive than Fate would ever admit. She could see Nanoha was just as guarded as herself and that realization made her want to know this other Nanoha better. "Nanoha, I think we both wear masks hiding from others who we really are. If you are willing, I'll remove my mask if you'll take off yours."

Nanoha blinked at this, Fate had spoken with the easiness she normally used with her sister and cousin. Had she just passed some test and was now being trusted?

All her blustering from before fell away and looking down at her hands she asked, "Um what's that supposed to mean?"

Fate's eyes softened at the nervousness, "You called me Fate-chan, just like the rest of your family. I have a feeling you are not as straight-laced as you make yourself out to be. Truthfully I don't like people who are too serious, they remind me of my mother too much. I am not very comfortable speaking about myself but I am willing to try, as much as I can. If you will show your true self to me, I'll do my best to show you who I am."

"Do you really mean it? I can call you Fate-chan?" she couldn't help asking, she hated the fact her family was more familiar with the blonde than she was.

"Yes, if you like, you can even call me that at work. It will give everyone a coronary." A wicked light of humor entered her eyes at the thought.

Nanoha laughed at the thought also, "Nyahaha, oh that would really give the gossips something to talk about. I think it would be fun to throw them for a loop, especially if you keep that placid look on your face when I call you that," then her face went thoughtful for a moment, "So does this mean we are friends now?"

Considering this for a long second Fate tentatively reached out with a slightly trembling hand and took Nanoha's hand, "Friends? I think I might like that. If that's what you want?"

Looking at their linked hands then back up into now suddenly serious burgundy eyes, Nanoha was relieved the weird sensation of the day before didn't grip her, smiling with a firm resolve she replied, "Friends! Now who should we shock first?"

Thankful for Nanoha's acceptance and the easing of the tension between them Fate considered the question. The wicked smile that spread across her lips made Nanoha's heart flutter but that was just a natural reaction, it didn't have to mean anything. Concentrating on their new alliance and giving herself over to a united sense of wicked humor she pictured the uproar they were likely to be causing and couldn't help laughing.

~"~"~"~

The office staff had worked with Fate for over five years and no one there would have dared to use the honorific "chan" to describe her. The hubbub over the friendship between the new girl and the Ice Angel was the topic of interest to everyone from the mailroom to the senior executive offices. Fate retained her normal remotely aloof manner with everyone else and didn't twitch a muscle at the looks of shock when Nanoha called her with the more familiar honorific. This lack of response set people to gossiping and coming up with increasingly strange ideas as to _why_ the Ice Angel accepted this from her junior partner.

Neither woman gave the gossips much attention, but found the "scandalized" and "affronted" manner the situation was taken in made the whole thing even more humorous to the two of them once they were behind closed doors. Fate could not remember a time she had laughed more. Nanoha was definitely a "bad" influence on her and she started teasing her family even more with the help of the auburn haired woman.

Nanoha learned more about Fate's life outside of work and even volunteered to help her with her art lessons. She was especially eager to help since Fate agreed to take on Vivio as a student. Fate's relationship with her pupils was that of second mother and teacher as they all came from homes with either only one parent or were orphans. Her sense of compassion and dedication to the children made Nanoha like and respect her all the more. It was also a new form of anxiety when she saw the gorgeous Nakajima Ginga, the elder sister to the goofy Subaru, and her interactions with Fate.

The dark haired beauty touched Fate all the time and often stood closer than necessary to the blonde when they spoke. The fact that Fate seemed oblivious to her obvious attraction and didn't show the slightest sign of returning her feelings was the only thing that kept Nanoha from falling into a deep depression. Or if she was going to be honest with herself a blind jealous rage.

Then the third time she saw Ginga she was with Alicia and was behaving in the same manner with her. Nanoha felt indignation at this, did the woman not care which twin she got? Didn't she appreciate the differences in their characters and personalities enough to distinguish between them? Just the sight of the woman after that had her clenching her fists in aggravated annoyance.

The culmination of her silent feud with the _sleazy_ _seductress_ came during their fourth meeting. Ginga had decided Nanoha was part of the _family_ and began to flirt with her too. Nanoha nearly slapped her when she put her hands on her but restrained herself by the most meager of margins. As the day progressed it became clear Ginga was a _toucher,_ while it was true she found both twins attractive, and in fact Nanoha too, she wasn't really interested in actively pursuing anyone.

Truthfully the woman was more concerned with her career and in helping her father care for her younger sibling. Yes, Subaru was now nineteen and in college but the girl more often acted like she was ten than her real age and was a trouble magnet. Ginga at twenty-five, while much more mature than her sister, was still something of a child herself. The casual mentioning of her being a virgin actually made Nanoha snort in disbelief but was in fact true. The beautiful woman actually had a bit of an obsession with her younger sister, which was little understood by her would-be partners. Instead of worrying about what outsiders thought she concentrated all her attention and time on her 'Sweet Imōto,' forcefully reminding Nanoha of Alicia and her relationship with Fate. And it was that similarity that let Nanoha accept the woman, even if it was grudgingly.

~"~"~"~

As she spent more time in the company of the Testarossa family she picked up clues _and_ innuendo that Fate's childhood wasn't all that positive and that had lead to her own remote behavior. Nanoha couldn't help but marvel at the small quirks the woman displayed, her insatiable appetite for sweets, her fear of thunder but love of lightning, and funnily her refusal to eat anything with a "face." Nanoha made it a habit to bake something for Fate at least once a week but often it was more likely three times which made her parents and sibling angry as it meant they didn't get to see Fate as often.

Nanoha was at the café with the Testarossa family and students enjoying a lively lunch and doing all she could to keep her sister off her "best" friend. Distracted she was teasing Subaru with Cia when suddenly her eyes were covered and a very familiar voice called out in a sing-song, "Guess Who Na~no~chan?"

Not thinking she said, "Shit! Hayate-chan," then jumped up and caught the short brunette in a tight hug, nearly lifting the petite woman off her feet.

Then she saw two other familiar faces behind her, a short haired blonde who had an irritated look on her face and an elegantly beautiful woman with long purple hair. Nanoha squeaked her surprise and glommed onto the other women laughing and crying in shock and happiness.

"Agh! Nanoha-chan calm down, geez I thought you would have learned to restrain yourself by now," the blonde groused.

"Nyahaha, I see you haven't changed either Arisa-chan," she was beaming in happiness at her childhood friends.

Then she jumped, "Oh everyone I want you to meet my friend Fate-chan and her family."

Nanoha moved to stand behind Fate's chair and placing a supportive hand on her shoulder, "Fate-chan this is…"

Arisa broke in grumpily, "We know Testarossa-san, it's nice to see you again."

Fate felt the usually feeling of disapproval she got from the blonde, "It's nice to see you again Bannings-san, Tsukimura-san," then her eyes took on a wary look and she swallowed, "And you Yagami-san."

Nanoha felt the room's temperature drop a couple degrees, "Okay what's the problem here? Fate-chan isn't a bad person so what's with the angry look on your face Arisa-chan?"

Pointing a finger of damnation at the other blonde, "She's an uppity bitch, that's my problem."

Suddenly a table full of angry faces turned to look at the short blonde and as if that wasn't bad enough the Takamachi family suddenly appeared with frowns. Before things could get out of hand the purple haired woman stepped forward to explain in a polite manner, "Testarossa-sensei has declined to attend charity events we've put on in the past, but she has been generous enough to donate paintings for our auctions so I think Arisa may have been a little rude in overstating the matter."

Hayate was smiling at the blonde twins with a hungry look, "I have no problem with either Testarossa sister, it's _always_ a pleasure to meet with one."

Alicia saw the look and smirked, she remembered the little pervert, she was a groper and had freaked out her sister on more than one occasion. Fate on the other hand was beginning to shift as far as back as possible in her chair at the hungry feline look. Nanoha recognized the tone from their childhood and stepped between the seated blonde and rapacious brunette. "Hands off Hayate-chan, Fate-chan doesn't like people getting into her personal space, especially perverted Tanukis."

Alicia started to laugh at this and the hostile feeling in the air seemed to dissipate. Further lightening the mood Cia remarked, "Ne Nanoha-chan I didn't realize you knew the pervert General of TSAB Images?"

Even Arisa couldn't resist laughing at the nickname, and the laughter grew when they saw the pout the short blue eyed woman made. Suzuka took the opportunity to try to resolve the ongoing one-sided feud between Arisa and Fate at this point. "Testarossa-sensei is there a reason why you no longer come to our events?"

Feeling put on the spot but rallying when she saw Nanoha's supportive smile, "Um, mostly because Yagami-san keeps trying to grope me but I really don't like social events at the best of times."

Three pairs of disapproving eyes locked on the brunette, Arisa weighted in first, "Damn it Hayate-chan we told you not to do that kind of stuff to guests!"

"But she blushed so cutely I couldn't help myself," the wily woman tried to defend.

Fate blushed, 'Really what a reason!'

Cia seeing her sister's response decided it was time for some Testarossa revenge and got up to face down the little pervert. With the cool look that made many a man and woman swoon she looked over Hayate, "Really, and I wonder why you never tried that act on me?"

Then she reached out and groped the little deviant making her flush bright red.

Stammering Hayate asked, "Wh...wh…what was that for?"

With a wicked smile and ironic tone she leaned in lasciviously, "I wanted to see that cute little blush of yours."

Nanoha's jaw dropped open, Arisa was blushing and Suzuka was giggling softly. Sitting at the table with the teens who also carried various shocked expressions Fate decided this had to stop before things got out of hand, "Okay Cia-nee enough, if Yagami-san promises not to try to grope me again I will be happy to come to any future charity events the Bannings-Tsukimura Group put on."

"Humph, you're no fun Imōto-chan," the older twin pouted before retaking her seat.

Nanoha smiled at her friend, thank goodness she was a good sport, a lot of people wouldn't have been as forgiving. Then she gave her old friend the sharp look she reserved for intimidating recalcitrant teens, "Okay, now Hayate-chan do you promise to behave yourself from here on out?"

Suzuka recognized the look and decided to poke a little fun at both her friends at once, "You had better agree quickly Hayate-chan, you don't want Nanoha-chan to go White Devil mode on you."

Nanoha choked at the old nickname, Fate gave her friend a questioning look while Cia and Vivio looked at one another with a look of understanding, 'Yup that fits.'

"Uh right," Hayate looked at Nanoha with suddenly wary eyes, "I promise Testarossa-sensei I will never try to grope you again and I'm sorry if I offended you," she added that last bit in hopes of preventing any retribution from Nanoha.

Fate could see these people in a new light suddenly, they knew Nanoha's feisty youthful side and seemed to bring out the best in one another. Taking a plunge, "Please call me Fate, I hope we can all be friends. I think we got off on the wrong foot but for Nanoha's sake if nothing else I would like to start over."

The entire group looked shocked at this, Cia reached over and felt her sister's forehead and Ein-chan sniffed her glass searching for alcohol. Fate glared at both of them thinking to herself, 'I promised Nanoha, all of them really, I'd try to be more social, there was no reason to act like this.'

Suzuka was the first to recover, "Thank you Fate-sensei, please call me Suzuka, it would be a great honor to be friends with you."

Arisa snapped at this, "Oh honor whatever," receiving glares from both Nanoha and Suzuka she backpedaled, "yeah, yeah great let's be friends, call me Arisa."

Fate didn't really know how to take the blonde woman but decided her gruff nature must be taken with a grain of salt or maybe a scoop of salt. "Thank you both," then she looked at the short brunette and wondered what she was going to say.

Hayate had been struck dumb for a moment, she'd gone from being on the blonde woman's avoid-at-all-costs list to a potential friend in less than five minutes. Nanoha nudged her and she blinked, "Uh yeah, great…um please call me Hayate."

Nanoha then began to introduce the teens around the table to her old friends and more chairs and another table were brought over so they could all sit together. Looking around she couldn't help but smile, her life was so much better now, she was home with her family and now had a much closer relationship with them than she had at any prior point in her life. She was now reunited with her old friends and had made so many new ones, really it couldn't get much better than this. Then she turned and her eyes met with Fate's and she felt that soft thrill again, looking away she tried to calm her racing heart, 'Okay maybe one more _little_ change would be nice but it wouldn't do to be greedy.'


	3. Chapter 3: Nanoha's Past

A/N: Thanks to all who have read and reviewed. I know the questions are building up and some answers can be found in this chapter. As of now I have two more chapters partially completed, chapter 4 needs a little more work but I should be ready to upload that soon, please let know you opinions and ideas as they have already begun to prime the pump for me and given me new ideas on where to take the story. My objective isn't just to get NanoFate together but see them in a solid relationship, meaning surviving a few dramatic issues together. So that means buckle up and get ready for a bumpy ride.

Reply to Reviewers:

I guess my previous author's note was a bit too vague, no, Nanoha is not Vivio's biological mother, read on and all will be revealed.

On a side note: Sadly it has been recorded that girls as young as 5 and ½ have become pregnant and given birth to relatively healthy and normal babies due to a disorder called precocious puberty which actives their hormone glands early and usually some form of sexual abuse, whether rape or rape by another name, being a child bride. This story will NOT have this disturbing concept incorporated into it.

In Japan the minimum age to marry with parental approval for girls is 16 and 18 for males. Otherwise one has to be 20 to enter marriage without parental consent.

Now for some levity, there will be no babies having babies, especially not Nanoha with ferret face.

Disclaimer: I don't own MGLN or its characters; I make no profit from this story.

~"~"~"~

 **Chapter Three: Nanoha's Past**

In less than four months of acquaintance Fate was finding herself trusting Nanoha more than anyone she had previously met. She wanted to tell her everything some days, perhaps it was the warmth in her sapphire eyes or the gentleness of her touch but almost instinctively she found herself moving closer to the woman. But there were other days where she became afraid of scaring her away with her morbid past and sadly those fears still out weighted her growing optimism.

They were eating lunch during their golden week holidays with "the girls" as Nanoha referred to her childhood friends and they started in on old times in an effort to embarrass their friend and incorporate Fate into their group. They claimed she had to learn about these things if she was ever to understand their in-jokes. By a quiet mutual understanding no one mentioned Yuuno Scrya during previous outings but today Hayate, after one too many cocktails, let slip a rather blatant statement that made it clear Nanoha had suffered a miscarriage early in her marriage.

The group fell silent and quickly dispersed after that mood killer, Arisa dragging the half potted Hayate off by the collar while Suzuka made their polite excuses. Nanoha looked at Fate trying to gauge the blonde's response to the information as they now sat alone. Fate felt a stab of pain in sympathy for her friend, she couldn't imagine the emotional toll losing a child would bring one. But one thing Fate did understand was pity was offensive, Nanoha had made some kind of peace with her loss and she wouldn't demean her by trying to talk down to her on something she couldn't really grasp. She continued to eat her lunch and tried to think of some topic that she could reasonably bring up without it sounding like she was avoiding the topic on both of their minds.

"Fate-chan…" Nanoha's voice had a strain to it she never heard before.

Looking up she could see Nanoha was worried about her opinion, not really knowing what to say she decided to leave the decision to open the topic to her, "Nanoha if you don't want to talk about it with me I will understand, it's your pain and I wouldn't even begin to understand how…"

"Fate-chan, I think you deserve to know, we're friends and despite how much talking about it hurts it's something I want you to know about," looking down at her lap, brows knitting, "I just hope you don't think too badly about me when you find out the whole story."

"Nanoha, no one is perfect, I could have no grounds to think less of you, anything that happened in the past is the past, you have obviously overcome any mistakes you _may_ have made and have grown to be a remarkably honorable and intelligent woman," Fate's tone left no doubt that her opinion wouldn't be changed by anything.

Smiling weakly Nanoha began, "Thank you Fate-chan but I really want you to know. Ah well… growing up I always knew I wanted to an artist of some kind, my friends and family supported me and when I graduated early I took the chance to study abroad. I had agreed to date one of my childhood friends and he was going to school at a nearby college. Yuuno was a few years older than me and was a very good person but I never grew to love him as he loved me. One night at a party I got drunk, I was barely seventeen and I knew better but I was caught up in the party atmosphere, I ended up sleeping with Yuuno that night, something I'd been refusing to do up until that point. Well, it was at that point I realized I didn't love him the way I should and began talking about breaking up. He didn't want too and a few weeks later I missed my period and I realized I was pregnant. I immediately came home with Yuuno and had to admit what had happened. My parents weren't happy and the Scryas wanted to claim the baby, which meant marriage. Dad didn't want me to marry, no one in my family did, but I didn't want to dishonor my family so I convinced them I _wanted_ to marry Yuuno.

"Gawd I can still remember Yuuno's mother going on about how she wouldn't have any grandchild of hers born out of wedlock and how deplorable our behavior had been and we needing to take responsibility for our actions. All things I already knew but she just made me feel so small about the whole thing. Yuuno was all for the marriage and in reality so was Noriko, Yuuno's mother, she wanted the tie to my family. I only figured that out later but she needed the association for some business dealings, our family's dojo is pretty famous and with my marriage into the Scrya family she was able to put some pressure on Kyoya to accept certain students which led to the a number of lucrative dealings being closed for her. I am pretty sure that's why Kyoya feels guilty over everything, maybe if he had just been more flexible she wouldn't have tried to railroad me into marrying. In the end Noriko trapped me just so she could influence my family; it wasn't even about the baby. So not only had I shamed my family by getting pregnant I was also being used as a tool to bend my family to the Scrya family's will.

"Anyway I was married in a simple ceremony and registered into his family, it only took a week of planning, I was a Scrya but I was already feeling something was wrong with how everything was going. I was only barely into my seventh or eighth week of pregnancy when the doctors realized something was wrong with the baby then I lost it. I can't call it a boy or a girl since it was never viable, it wasn't…it never should have been. I thought that the child being deformed was some kind of punishment for my past behavior and negative thoughts. I didn't want to be pregnant, didn't want to have to drop out of school or be married. It took months of arguing but finally my in-laws _decided_ I could go back to school after the miscarriage but only if we eventually tried again.

"Two years later we did, even after a year of trying I never got pregnant again, later we went to a fertility clinic and we found out Yuuno was technically sterile. If I ever got pregnant again it was likely it wouldn't be viable, there would be no children. At this point I wanted a divorce, I knew I wasn't happy with my husband and if there were to be no children then there was no point in even trying to make things work, I wanted kids. So Noriko made me an offer I couldn't refuse, she offered me Vivio as a daughter. I've loved the girl since I first met her. When her parents died she came to live with Noriko, her grandmother, and I could tell she was ah less than happy living there. I would be made her primary guardian as long as I stayed married to Yuuno, but if I ever cheated on him or divorced him then she'd be taken away. I insisted on her taking on my family name and my getting to use my family name again and Noriko agreed, so I finally had a child of my own.

"Between school and Vivio I was so busy I didn't even care that my marriage was a sham, when I graduated we moved to America for a while so Yuuno could continue his studies and I began my work as a designer. Then we moved to England for Yuuno's doctorial studies and I transferred jobs, we stayed there for a few years with Yuuno coming and going from dig sites. By that time he realized it had been a mistake to force me into the marriage and was seeing someone else, I don't really know who, some woman within his field. He had started the divorce proceedings against his mother's wishes because of her but then he was killed in an accident while out on a dig. I was suddenly free, and I also don't have to worry about losing Vivio, Noriko made no provisions for Yuuno predeceasing me before she came of age.

"So now I am a twenty-seven year old widowed single mother without any romantic prospects because everyone halfway interesting is horrified at my having a daughter especially a teenaged one at my age, nyahaha, I didn't see that one coming."

Fate stared at her, there was no big bad terrible sin, why in the world would Nanoha expect her to think less of her? If anything Fate felt an increase in her admiration for the woman, she'd taken a bad situation and made the best of it in the most honorable way possible _and_ had saved a little girl from a pretty miserable situation if Vivio's recollections of her grandmother were any clue. Besides it seemed like the Scrya family on a whole were the ones who took advantage of Nanoha. As for romance that was beyond her ken, she had hard enough time trying to understand people's normal day to day interactions to even dwell on romance.

"Nanoha, anyone who can't see how wonderful a person you are and appreciate the connection you have with Vivio then they don't really deserve to be with you. They're obviously "idiots" as Tea-chan would say, I really don't have any experience in romance but I can't imagine you'll be single long if you really are looking for someone to share your life with."

Nanoha looked at her friend and was amazed that she wasn't castigating her for her drunken debauchery that had led to a host of dishonorable events. Fate was more concerned with her current life, not her past, that realization made her wonder if there was more in Fate's own past that made her strive to live in the present. "So you don't think I am slut or a horrible person for getting myself pregnant at seventeen?"

Fate had started to take a drink and nearly choked on the fluid at these words, "Cough-cough…moi Dio! Certo che no," wiping her mouth with a napkin she cleared her throat and continued, "Who in the world would think such a thing? You were in a relationship with the man at the time, it's not like you randomly slept with some stranger or made a habit of sleeping around. Even then circumstances would have to be taken into consideration. Besides you took responsibility for your actions, you may not have been happy with the results but you didn't try to wriggle out of your responsibilities. You even took in an orphaned child when you were still a student and raised her to be a warm and loving person, you didn't have to do that."

'Moi Dio? Huh oh that's Italian for my god,' Nanoha thought to herself trying to work out the foreign words. Then without thinking she asked the first question to pop into her mind, "Do you normally revert back to Italian when upset?"

Burgundy eyes blinked at the random question then she thought about her words and blushed, "Um sometimes, Cia-nee hates speaking Italian but Ein-chan will try to speak to me in it sometimes just so we don't forget. When I get really upset or drunk I sometimes revert without realizing."

Nanoha looked surprised, she didn't think Fate had ever touched alcohol let alone have gotten drunk, she didn't seem the type, "When have you ever been drunk?"

Blushing further, "Cia-nee made it her goal in college to get me drunk a couple of times to see if that would loosen me up, instead I just got very sleepy and reverted to Italian. No one understood what I was saying and she had to carry me home, she eventually gave up on the plan seeing how no one wanted to talk with me let alone stay in the same room."

"Yeah that does sound like something your sister would do, so you never ended up hooking up with someone randomly just fell asleep, huh. I get really hyper and end up talking to and hugging people at random," she couldn't help admitting.

"No, I have never hooked up with anyone, Cia-nee makes up for it though, her love life is like a soap opera."

"Wait, you've never been with anyone, at all?"

"No, I've never really had any interest in dating, there were always so many other things I could be doing. Now it just seems like a waste of time and effort, I like my quiet life and with Ein-chan and with my art students I have enough kids of my own that there's no reason to get sucked into the drama of having a romantic relationship."

"What about sex? Aren't you interested in that?"

Fidgeting and looking down at her hands Fate replied haltingly, "Uh no, I really don't ever want to have to get naked in front of someone. Besides I've never really found myself attracted to anyone that way."

This statement made Nanoha pause, she'd never seen her friend in anything less than full sleeved blouses and long pants or long skirts with dark hose. Was there some reason why she didn't want to expose herself? But then again the weather was just now beginning to really warm up so…hmm? "Fate-chan I would have thought someone would have at least made a play for you. I mean people follow your sister around like cats in heat."

Fate laughed at that, "Yes Cia-nee is definitely the center of attention when it comes to romantic intentions or carnal ones at least. I've been asked out a number of times and propositioned but I never took anyone up on the offer."

"It seems like a waste, you shouldn't have to live the rest of your life alone, people need people. Besides I bet you'd have beautiful babies."

Blushing at the thought of babies in the context of having one with Nanoha she quickly pushed the thought aside and said, "I don't think I'd be a very good candidate for motherhood, its one thing to mentor children it's another to be a parent. I wouldn't like to have that responsibility, I'm afraid I may make a mistake and hurt them."

"Why in the world would you think you'd hurt a child, an infant? You have to be the most gentle and patient person I've ever met, even when you're angry you don't resort to violence but use your words. You don't scream or yell or curse. I think you'd be the best candidate for motherhood, especially if you're compared to some people out there with children."

"I don't wish to repeat the same mistakes my mother made, so I made the decision long ago to never have children of my own. While I love children I would never wish to be the sole guardian of a child, there are too many things that can go wrong and I don't want to risk making the wrong decisions."

"Well if you had a partner you wouldn't be alone, the two of you could raise the child together, like you and Cia-chan have done for Ein-chan."

"But I wouldn't know the first thing about choosing a partner, I have my sister for now, but when she finally finds The One she'll leave to have her own life. Ein-chan will be graduating soon and will want her own life. I can't imagine having any other family than them. Tea-chan was my ward but she is of age now so really doesn't need me except in dire emergencies. I had a few close friends growing up but they have their own lives now and I couldn't imagine them coming back to help me with a child. No I think making a few new friends is about all I'm up for; romance and children are definitely not in the cards."

Nanoha suddenly wondered if Fate would be willing to co-parent with her, she wanted more children, ones of her own but she didn't want to be tied down to a man again. She knew she didn't enjoy sex with men, Yuuno had been a kind and attentive lover but she hadn't enjoyed it even then. Then she thought, 'No Nanoha that would be wrong, you can't trap someone in a relationship with a child, you'd be worst than Noriko. You know how unfair that is to both partners and the children.'

~"~"~"~

A few days later Nanoha was sitting at home alone while Vivio was out with Einhart doing god only knew what teenagers did when Hayate showed up to apologize. Letting her friend into the house she decided it would be best to just get this over with so they could both move on. "Hayate-chan I know you are sorry for bringing up my indiscretion as a teen and nothing horrible came of it so please don't worry about it."

"So I didn't mess things up with you and Fate-chan?" she asked worriedly.

"Why on earth would you think that? Fate-chan isn't a prude, she was very understanding once we talked it out."

"Oh good, she's really hard to read sometimes, she's so shy and innocent so I wasn't sure how it would all turn out. I know you like her a lot and I didn't want to ruin things between you."

"She's not innocent, she's more asexual I guess is the best way to put it, I doubt she could have lived with Cia-chan all her life and be really innocent or naïve when it comes to matters of… wait what do you mean by like her a lot, I don't like that tone of voice you're using?"

"Well, I've seen the way you look at her, you're attracted to her aren't you?"

Sputtering, "Why in the world would you say that?"

"Nano-chan, you can lie to yourself all day long but we all know you're not heterosexual, I for one think you're a straight up lesbian but the others like to think you bat for both teams."

"Wait what?! How in the world did you come to that conclusion?"

"Let's just say my gaydar is very strong, I have never been wrong before. Which leads me to my next question, do you know which way Fate-chan swings and do you want my opinion?"

Nanoha stared at her friend, this really wasn't the discussion she thought they'd be having. Then again if Hayate could read her then it couldn't hurt to ask what she thought of Fate's sexuality. But this was Hayate, give her an inch and she'd take a mile. "Hmm well Fate-chan has told me she's never been interested sexually in anyone else so I can't see how you'd be able to figure that out when she hasn't."

"Playing coy isn't going to get me to answer the question, besides I want you to admit to liking her."

"Fine, I do like her, I would like to date her but there are more than a couple reasons why I will _not_ be asking her out no matter what you say."

"Humph! Well then I guess it doesn't matter that I think she's gayer than rainbows and is interested in you."

"Huh? No way, she…she can't be interested in me. I mean she told me she never plans on having sex or getting into a romantic relationship with anyone. So you have to be wrong about that."

"Nano-chan, really? Of course the little virgin is going to say things like that, especially when the one person she's interested in appears to be straight and she'd have no hope in scoring."

"You're screwing with me, you have to be, I don't think this is funny Hayate."

Gulping, "Nano-chan I swear on all things holy that I'm being serious. If you tried I bet she'd fall all over herself to get with you."

Nanoha was conflicted, she wanted desperately to know what it's be like to be in a relationship with Fate. Hell she wanted to jump her and finally find out if she could really like sex. But then Fate also appeared to have issues with intimacy, she had a hard enough time dealing with simple hugs and kisses on her cheek what would asking for more do to her? Then there was the was the problem of them working together, the old saying 'don't shit where you eat' could apply, if this didn't work out how would they ever be able to work normally together again?

"Temping thought Hayate-chan but I think it would be best for both of us if we didn't try. Fate-chan really doesn't need the drama in her life as she would put it and I don't want to risk losing her as a friend or a co-worker."

"So what if she suddenly decided she wanted to date someone? You know some hot chick finally gets her motor running, will you just stand by and let them run off with her?"

Nanoha suddenly was seeing red, "No! Um, I…I…ah Fate-chan has the right to see anyone she wants, it wouldn't be within my rights to try to keep her to myself."

'Oh yeah White Devil mode would definitely be activated,' Hayate thought to herself with an evil glee. "Sigh, you know Suzuka-chan was telling me Carim-san was interested in Fate-chan and was hoping for an introduction at their next function."

Nanoha glared at her friend but refrained from say jumping down her throat or throttling her since she could see Hayate was definitely trying to antagonize her. "Hmm, she doesn't seem like Fate-chan's type, I would be happy to introduce them."

"Oh-hoi so that means you think there's no danger of Carim-san stealing her attention huh? But I wouldn't discount her charms she knows quite a bit about art and can be very "motherly" I am sure she could get around sweet little Fate-chan's defenses if she put her mind to it. Fate-chan looks like the kind of person who would love to be pampered and petted once the initial wariness was gotten over with. After all she doesn't mind you touching her."

Clenching her fists she smiled at her friend, "You really are pushing me Hayate."

~"~"~"~

Alicia was sitting on the couch and in conjunction with the pervert General was going to do something she knew was likely to piss her sister off. Fate came down the stairs to get her normal pre-bed time snack that she only partook during weekends and holidays, her wicked sweet tooth was only indulged fully on these days otherwise as she'd say, she'd be as round as she was tall.

"Imōto-chan," she called out sweetly to her sister.

Fate immediately felt her guard go up, her sister was up to something, that tone of voice sending a shiver of apprehension up her spine. Coming over to the couch she sat down and looked her sister in the eye, "Yes, Cia-nee?"

'Shit, I guess she already figured out I'm up to something, I hate that look in her eyes.' Shifting in her seat she decided to dodge the real topic and then try to slide into it gradually. "Ne, Fate-chan do you want to go to the movies with me tomorrow, there's this really good flick I want to see."

Eye brow raised, "Sure, we can ask the girls if they want to come too, or do you just want it to be just us?"

"Uh, yeah let's ask the girls and Nanoha-chan, it's always nice to hang out with them."

"Um, yes it is, was there anything else?"

"Ah-ha, yeah I was talking with Hayate-chan and she wanted to know if you were going to go to that charity event next weekend. So have you decided?"

Frowning she gave her sister a confused look, "Yes, I'm going, that's been long decided. I am the presenter for the evening, though how they convinced to me to do such thing is still beyond me."

Cia tried to cover up her misstep by saying, "Well I wasn't sure if something had come up in the meantime. I mean your schedule can be pretty hectic so we weren't sure if you'd have to cancel at the last minute."

Fate flushed, before she likely would have searched for an excuse to get out of it but she'd promised Nanoha, "Sigh well I did say I would try to be more accommodating when we all became friends as long there was no conflict with my work scheduled. It will be uncomfortable I'm sure but Nanoha will be there and so will you so I can always find a retreat if people start to overwhelm me."

"Fate-chan about Nanoha-chan, um I have a friend, a very nice guy who's interested in her. I was hoping you would introduce them at the party, he has kids of his own, a widower and he knows about Vi-chan already."

Fate felt a surge of fear, 'No!' her mind screamed and her heart began to ache. Her sister caught the fleeting look of panic on her sister's face and felt like a horrible person, 'I'm hurting her by doing this, but it's necessary if she'd ever to break out of that oblivious bubble of hers.'

"Fate-chan are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. If this guy really likes Nanoha then he should introduce himself, I don't like meddling." Then she stood up and went back upstairs suddenly no longer in the mood for sweets of any kind.

~"~"~"~

"Thanks for inviting us out Cia-chan, I really wanted to see this movie," Vivio said laughing while hanging off Einhart's arm as she looked back at the adults.

It was wonder of physics that Einhart was somehow able to adjust her own balance to compensate for the sudden jerking to her arm so they didn't fall in heap. Fate looked at the pair and began to wonder when they had become so close that they looked like conjoined twins. Then looking over at Nanoha she wondered what it would be like to have her hold onto her arm or hold hands like these teens. 'No, I don't want to lose her, if I tried I'd only ruin things, I wouldn't survive the rejection if she found out about my scars and found me disgusting, better to leave things as they are.'

Nanoha looked at her daughter and was surprised at the closeness she shared with Einhart, she'd seen them together quite a bit but something seemed different. Taking in the mint green haired girl she began to try to figure out the difference she was sensing, the girl had the same elegant bone structure of her cousins and held herself with a quiet dignity that reminded her of Fate but without the awkward shyness that sometimes plagued her. Her warm smile on her daughter and lilting laugh seemed more focused, like all the joy she was feeling was coming from her companion, hmm could there be something going on here?

Then she suddenly wondered why or perhaps it should be how the girl came to be here, living with her cousins. Turning to the blonde twins, "Ne Fate-chan, what happened to Einhart's parents, how exactly are you related to her?"

Fate smiled wryly, "Ein-chan's mother was our mother's twin sister. Twins run in our family, sadly Ein-chan's twin brother died in the auto accident that took her parents. I don't know what I'd do if I ever lost Cia-nee," turning to look at her sister, "no matter how annoying she can be, I'd probably go mad if anything ever happened to her."

Cia stopped and grabbed a hold of her sister in a tight hug, "You know I'll never leave you again, I promised you that. I will never let anyone hurt you Imōto."

Fate gave her a quick squeeze before pushing her gently off, "You have a right to your own life, we made sure Ein-chan understood that even without her other half she has a right to happiness. Maybe I should have spent more time making you understand that also?"

"Nope, until I see you safely married to a person worthy of you who I can trust to take proper care of you I'm not going anywhere."

Fate raised her eyebrows in surprise, "Cia-nee you know I have no plans to ever marry, you shouldn't hold yourself back because of me, I told you that already."

"And I've always said you deserve more than a single life. You need a companion who loves you and will always be there for you," her sister replied back.

Fate rolled her eyes at this then said, "Maybe I'll get a dog, will that satisfy you?"

Einhart's head immediately turned at this and squeaked, "Really can we?!"

Rubbing her forehead for a moment and counting to ten before sighing, "No Ein-chan, we are not getting a dog, and don't even think about bring home any strays either."

The girl wilted for a moment then asked, "How about a kitten or a ferret?"

Nanoha shuddered, "I'd really prefer you not get a ferret, they creep me out. I wouldn't feel comfortable visiting you guys as often if you had one in the house."

Vivio seemed to have the same visceral response to the word ferret as her mother and that idea died on the vine for Einhart instantly. "Um, kittens are cute and acceptable though right?"

Fate caught her cousin in a one armed hug and said, "Sorry bambina no pets. I have a hard enough time keeping the house clean with you and Cia-nee."

Then she tipped her head in contemplation, "You could always ask Hayate-san to dress Cia-nee up as a cat, I am sure she has the costumes for that kind of thing."

Einhart shuddered at this and the elder twin gave her sister a less than pleased grimace. But it was Nanoha's giggle at the comment which was the pay off for Fate. Looking back at the woman she couldn't help smiling as well.

The movie excursion started off normally, so if Nanoha and Fate had any clue they were being set up they were too dense to figure it out. Once in the theater Vivio and Einhart went to sit near the front row leaving the adults to find seats a bit higher up. The house lights had just turned down when Alicia slid out of her seat with her cell phone in hand and a whispered, "I'll be right back."

Suddenly Fate found herself sitting alone next to Nanoha in a darkened room. Every one of her senses seemed to become hyper alert and the enticing scent of Nanoha's perfume was making the normally wary blonde want to cuddle in closer. About ten minutes into the movie (horror) a cheap jump scare caught Nanoha unaware and she garbed onto Fate's arm. Fate turned to the woman and saw the embarrassed look on her face as she pulled away with a quiet, "Sorry."

Ten more minutes in Nanoha was scrunching up in her chair at the first brutal slaying on screen. 'Why the hell did I agree to this again?'

Fate seeing Nanoha's discomfort reached out and took her hand and squeezed before leaning over to say, "It's just a movie Nanoha, it can't hurt you."

The soft hand and gentle words soothed her a bit but when the next scare came she found herself hiding against the blonde's shoulder. Fate not knowing about dating or making moves decided the best thing she could do for her friend in this instant was to wrap an arm around her. The auburn haired woman instantly accepted the gesture and spent the next hour safely ensconced in the hollow of Fate's neck.

When the house lights came back up Nanoha wanted to groan, she was incredibly comfortable in the blonde's arms. Having at some point pushed the armrest out of the way and had nearly crawled onto the blonde's lap after a particularly gruesome scream sounded throughout the theater. Fate wasn't sure if this was acceptable behavior in a theater but she sure wasn't going to push Nanoha away, this felt way too good.

Fate gave the woman a soft squeeze and said gently, "Nanoha, it's over now, you can stop hiding."

Still tucked up into Fate she replied, "I'm not hiding; I am avoiding disgusting images of torture and murder. Gawd how did I ever let the girls convince me to come today?"

Fate laughed at this, "Nanoha I swear that movie was so cheesy, the special effects were so obvious. I mean I could come up with better."

Nanoha pulled away at that and said passionately, "Don't, just don't. I hate all this gory and grim stuff. How my child ever got an interest in it I'll never know."

The sudden chill to her body and Nanoha's words made Fate shiver and feel a little guilty. Looking down at her lap she said, "Sorry, I was just trying to downplay the whole thing. If you just remember nothing can hurt you and look at these things from an artistic point of view it usually makes it seem more like a comedy to me. People don't really know what it's like to be tortured; the stuff on the screen would likely kill a person instantly versus allowing for prolonged pain and suffering. Torture sadly is an art form or should I say a skill in itself. One must know where vital organs lay, important veins and arteries, tendons and nerves."

In a quiet voice Nanoha asked, "Fate-chan, why do you know about this?"

Just then Cia returned and called out, "Hey you two we're headed out, the girls want to get pizza."

Nanoha groaned, "How the hell can they think of eating after that?"

Fate gave a small snort, "They're teenagers."

~"~"~"~

One week later

Fate stood in front of her full length mirror and trying not to look at herself as she pulled on her dark tights, but it was impossible. The tights tripped her up for a moment and she caught herself on the frame of the mirror bringing her face to face with herself. Her eyes took in the scars that laced her body. It wasn't just her back that had been scarred in those harrowing years with Mother. Nearly every inch of her body had been subjected to some form of torture, amazingly though her mother had left her face alone as it was the face of her favored daughter Alicia. Thank all the saints she had left her genitalia alone, seemingly some things were still sacred to the mad woman. Though it was Mother's failure to destroy her hands or perhaps her eyesight that always made the Fate wonder, if she truly wished to destroy that which made her like father why not ruin those two things, it could have been so easy.

Shaking herself from her moody reflections she pulled her tights on and then pulled on the black and gold full length gown she had purchased for the event. The dress covered her completely but still was figure hugging and the slit in the skirt allowed for easy movement and displayed her tight clad leg up to her mid thigh. Having already applied the small amount of cosmetics she bothered with and brushed out her long hair before tying it back with a black ribbon and putting on her favorite jewelry she knew there was no reason now to avoid looking in the mirror once more. She knew others would only see the face and outline of her figure and think once again how attractive she was but it was all a lie, a deliberate one at that.

Frowning she sighed before turning to leave the room, how much longer would she be able to maintain the façade around Nanoha? Coming into the living room she found Cia already dressed in a similar dress except her dress was a deep purple and black and she wore no hosiery. The lightly tanned expanse of well defined calf and thigh would have many a man and woman hovering over her sister like flies to honey.

Kissing Einhart goodbye and climbing into her Ferrari with her sister she tried to settle her nerves for the coming fray. She wished it was Nanoha sitting next to her as the woman wouldn't tease her but instead lay a gentle hand on her and as if she used magic settle the anxiety flooding her body. The auburn haired woman would be at the event but would be arriving with Hayate and the rest of the wily woman's entourage. Her sister fiddled with the radio and all the other dials in the vehicle within reach much to Fate's annoyance but she allowed her to carry on as she concentrated on driving and settled her mind on the calming picture of Nanoha's smiling face.

Upon arriving she handed off the keys to her vehicle to a far too young valet driver who was drooling over the vehicle. She looked him in the eyes and said in her best menacing voice, "One scratch and I'll have your guts for garters understand me?"

The man-child nodded only slightly chastised and then happily took the keys from her hands before spiriting the vehicle away with a slightly too fast acceleration. Fate wanted to grumble but Cia had caught her arm and led her into the reception hall where many people would be awaiting their arrival.

Fate's eyes darted around the room trying to find the one person in the world it wouldn't be a complete torture to her nervous system to be with. Though Nanoha could sometime elicit the strange fluttering feeling in her she was beginning to enjoy those feelings, they were warm. Suddenly a beautiful blonde woman was standing before them and her blue eyes darted from each twin before settling on Cia and mistakenly she said, "Testarossa-sensei it's so good to meet you."

Fate hummed in her throat and giving the blonde a small nod she excused herself from the pair. Cia would likely be having a field day messing with this woman's mind all night. Normally she would have rectified the misconception but tonight she really didn't want to deal with unwanted amorous attention, she wanted to find Nanoha. Making her way to the reserved table she had for the evening her eyes continued to scan the room until in her distraction she nearly tripped over an old friend. The pair of startled ruby eyes that looked back at her belonged to one of the few models she wouldn't run screaming from.

Clearing her throat and giving the silver haired woman a small smile she said, "Um ah sorry about that, ha-ah um Reinforce-san it's good to see you again. I didn't know you were back in town."

The woman blinked at the almost even tone Fate had used with her; normally the woman wouldn't even say more than a croaky hello then scamper off, something had changed. Smiling she leaned in to hug the blonde, might as well try for the brass ring, who knows what will happen? The blonde gave her a tentative half hug in response and pulled back a step.

Reinforce's smile widened and in her soft alto voice she said, "It's good to see you again Fate-sensei, I'm not surprised you didn't hear about my return. Your sister is avoiding me like the plague."

Fate frowned at that, "She didn't do anything to hurt you did she? I told her to be respectful with you, it was clear from when we all first met that you aren't like some of the other women who…um well you know."

Reinforce gave her a rather sad smile, "No, she didn't hurt me. I knew what she was about from the beginning so nothing ever happened between us. Though I must say she made it hard to say no."

At that the blonde snorted, "In that case she is just playing hard to get. Don't mind her, she'll come around eventually. You are a good friend and she doesn't have many of those."

With an incredulous look on her face she said, "Forgive me Fate-sensei but you've changed since the last time we met. I don't think you've ever spoken so freely with me before. May I ask what's changed?"

Fate blinked and tilted her head in confusion, "Nothing much really. I'm sorry about how I was before; it just takes me some time to open up to people."

Then something auburn caught Fate's attention and she turned her head. Standing a few feet away was Nanoha in a blue gown with white accents. She had her long hair pulled up in an elegant knot at the back of her head with just the bareness use of makeup. The subtle use of eyeliner, mascara and eye shadow to highlight her eyes made them stand out even more from her beautiful face and a bit of lipstick on her kissable lips made them almost irresistible. Fate felt as if all the air had been sucked out of her lungs at the sight. Whispering she said mindlessly, "Mio Dio che è bella."

Reinforce seeing Fate was now star-struck turned and saw the lovely sight also and instantly understood Fate's change in demeanor, after all love could move mountains.

Nanoha on the other hand had seen Fate nearly stumble into the silver haired beauty and was about to move forward when she saw Fate speak to the woman and then reciprocate her embrace. All of a sudden her heart ached and fear coursed through her. Fate didn't give out hugs easily, who was this woman? When Fate's eyes finally fell on Nanoha their eyes met and the surge of electricity flowed hotter than ever. Without thinking Nanoha moved forward and when within touching distance she found her arms opening to embrace the blonde. Instinct, hormones, some unknown and irresistible force brought Nanoha's lips to Fate's cheek, bare millimeters from the blonde's lips. Shocking to anyone who saw the exchange was the fact that Fate almost melted into the embrace and hugged the shorter woman back giving her a soft kiss on the cheek also, though hers was more centered on the tender flesh.

The embrace hadn't been as full as Nanoha might have wanted thanks to the stupid skirt of her dress but the fact Fate had responded in kind made her insanely happy. Her hug was welcome and hadn't been awkward like the one she had witnessed from across the room. Yes, awkward, so what if Fate had responded, it was clear she was forcing herself with the silver haired woman, not like with this heartfelt embrace that she had given herself fully to. Pulling back she smiled at the blonde and said, "You look beautiful Fate-chan, I'm so happy I'm getting to see you like this."

Fate was slightly dazed by Nanoha's perfume and sheer overwhelming presence on her senses and said, "You're beautiful."

Nanoha blushed and smiled at the compliment. The silver haired woman cleared her throat at this and the oblivious couple turned to her. Fate snapped out of her Nanoha induced stupor and made introductions. Nanoha quickly found Reinforce Eins was a sweet woman who thankfully from her subtle hints indicated she wasn't interested in Fate. The three of them were talking rather easily when the pervert General arrived grabbing Fate from behind and while not groping her breasts she did press into the woman more than necessary as she nuzzled her from behind and proclaimed, "Fate-chan you made it!"

Fate shuddered at the contact and Nanoha ripped her friend off the now ridged blonde. In an angry tone she said, "I thought you promised to behave yourself and would leave Fate-chan alone."

Hayate with a sheepish grin said, "I just promised not to grope her, no one said anything about behaving myself."

Then the soft sound of laughter came from Reinforce at this and Hayate's rapacious eyes fell on the beautiful woman. With a leering grin she said, "Allow me to introduce myself, I'm Yagami Hayate. It's a pleasure to meet anyone Fate-chan is on good terms with."

The woman's ruby eyes glinted with mischief, "Oh I've heard all about you, the little pervert General of TSAB Images. I wonder who is worse you or Alicia Testarossa when it comes to making beautiful women cry?"

Fate said, "Cia-nee."

Nanoha said, "Hayate-chan."

The pair looked at the other and both laughed. Hayate pouted at her friend, "Thanks for the vote of confidence Nano-chan. At least Fate-chan understands I'm just joking around. I'm not a heartbreaker like a certain blonde heartthrob."

Fate had to add to this, "It's true, Hayate maybe a pervert groper but she doesn't lead women on and change girlfriends like others change clothes. Her behavior has made my life uncomfortable more than once with her exes trying to enact horrible revenge on her and mistaking me for her. I once had a bucket of dye dropped on me when we were in college. God it took weeks to scrub the color off."

Hayate looked at her in concern, "What color?"

"Scarlet red," she said drily.

Continuing helplessly, "After the first attempt to wash it out I was pink. I swear my hair still has a tint of it."

Hayate and Reinforce laughed at this while Nanoha smiled a bit while squeezing her arm gently. Fate seeing the smile felt her own smile creep forward. Eventually the small group made their way to the table and ordered drinks while they continued to talk and laugh. Throughout the next two hours many people were brought over to the table to be introduced by Suzuka and with Nanoha by her side she found it much easier to be gracious with the strangers. The woman made sure they kept out of her personal space and helped deflect the unwanted amorous attention. It was quietly spreading throughout the room that Fate Testarossa finally had a romantic partner and _she_ wasn't the type to share.

When the auction portion of the night came around Fate found her way onto the stage as presenter of the pieces on display. Though only two of pieces were on the block were hers, her obvious knowledge and admiration of the other artists' work made the bidding fiercer than any other auction the charity group had ever put on. After stepping down she settled back at her table and was glad of the small squeeze to her hand from Nanoha. She hated public speaking but the entire time she had projected her words to Nanoha instead of a room full of strangers and found the whole process amazingly easy.

The obvious changes in blonde were catching a number of people's attention and muttering could be heard on what could have caused it. Before the evening was out many were pairing the blonde and the auburn haired woman at her side together, though no overt action proved this assertion. Getting ready to leave the hall Fate searched for her sister but could not find the wayward blonde anywhere. Seeing the look of dismay on Fate's face and the fact that the missing blonde wasn't responding to any of Fate's calls or text messages Hayate offered, "Fate-chan, I know you're tired so if you're willing to take Nanoha-chan home I'll find your sister and bring her home later. Suzuka and Arisa will have me here for another couple of hours anyway…unless I have an excuse to leave."

Fate smiled at that, "That's very _generous_ of you Hayate-chan and I accept. Tell her when you find her the next time she runs off like this I'm changing the house locks."

Hayate laughed with the others at this and she and Reinforce made their farewells. Fate found herself incredibly happy on the way home and remarkably relaxed. Normally after a night like this she'd be a strung out mess but with the help of so many good friends and of course Nanoha she had a good time. Dropping off the woman first before pulling into her own driveway she stopped at the curb. Nanoha turned to her and leaned into her to hug her once more before whispering, "Good night Fate-chan, and thanks for everything."

Fate felt her heart do that weird flip flop thing it did when Nanoha was near and said with a bit of a quaver to her voice, "Good night Nanoha, and thank you for everything, you made tonight a lot of fun."

Nanoha smiled a bit brighter at that and not wanting to ruin the positive mood by doing something stupid like trying to kiss the blonde she slid out of the vehicle. Fate watched her as she made her way up the walk and enter her home, when the door shut she felt a little of the happiness she felt dampen. Shaking herself she put her car back in drive and finally pulled into her own driveway and quickly parked her car in the garage. It had been a great night overall, but really where was Cia-nee?

~"~"~"~

A/N 2: So anyone want to guess where Cia disappeared to? Still taking ideas for pairings so drop me a line.


	4. Chapter 4: Revelations

A/N: Thanks to everyone who has Reviewed, Favorited and Followed this story, it makes me so happy to get the little email alerts. All the support has basically helped me double what I had previously written and I hope made this story better so please continue as I need all the pokes and prods to keep me writing.

Reply to reviewers:

Yuuno did get Nanoha pregnant but his sperm were all damaged and he also had a low sperm count, so though he could technically impregnate her the resulting pregnancies would always be nonviable. There may have been a one in x-amount of chances they could have had a child but the chances were astronomical. As to why his little swimmers were damaged, well we'll get to that later in the story.

Side note: _[italized]_ is the translation of the Italian spoken. Thank you Google Translate!  & The Fabulous CrazyLikeArt who sent me a few corrections.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the plot, MGLN will never be mine.

~"~"~"~

Chapter 4: Revelations

Fate woke up the next day confused and disorientated, she had a very strange dream and her alarm clock had suddenly jolted her out of it. Laying in bed she recalled the dream vividly, it was the night before and she was dropping off Nanoha as she had really done but instead of smiling and exiting the vehicle Nanoha had smiled then leaned in. She had leaned in and kissed her gently and with such ardent passion that Fate felt heat rise to her cheeks remembering it. Why would she be dreaming such things?

Okay so it was true that her feelings for Nanoha were nothing like the feelings she had for anyone else, family or friend. It was also true that she was growing highly attached to the woman; she made a point to see the woman at least once a day even if it was just for a few moments. It was also true she thought Nanoha was the most beautiful person she knew, both physically and spiritually. But to began dreaming of kissing the woman and enjoy it was something far removed from her personal experience.

Sure she had been kissed before but her dream kiss had awoken feelings in her she'd never felt before. All prior experiences and thoughts on kissing (and the things that might follow) had been rather repulsive. Both men and women over the years had ambushed her and pressed themselves upon her. Then felt her wrath usually in the form of a slap for women or a painful kneeing to the groin for men. It was one of the few times she allowed herself to become physically violent with another person. It was imperative that people understood she did not want such attentions thrust upon her.

Touching her lips she thought again about how in her dream she hadn't wanted to reject Nanoha, in fact she had wanted to deepen the kiss, she wanted more. Fate felt her heart rate began to rise and her body begin to tremble and knew she was starting to panic, the idea of becoming physically intimate with someone was beyond frightening, it was terrifying. Taking a calming breath she got up and began her Tai Chi exercises to calm herself.

After her traumatic childhood her father wanted her to learn to defend herself but she could never allow herself to become aggressive and actually hit another person for mere practice. After searching through various martial arts her father had found a Tai Chi instructor who showed her a solo version that not only allowed her to learn how to defend herself but also helped her remain calm and centered. After running through her calming routine she went to shower and then proceeded down stairs to make breakfast. After a leisurely meal with Einhart where they talked about Cia MIA status they washed dishes together.

The green haired girl dried the last dish and put it away before turning her cutest puppy eyes on her cousin, "Ne Fate-onee, would it be alright if I went out with Vivio-chan today? We want to go downtown to the bookstore for some university entrance exam study guides for her.

Fate looked at her younger cousin and smiled at this, "That sounds like a nice thing to do for her. Sure, let me give you some money though, I know how you get once you get in a bookstore."

The teen beamed at this and hugged her cousin.

Twenty minutes later the girl was practically skipping out the door with an exuberant blonde teen hanging off her arm. Vivio flashed Fate a bright smile and thanked Fate for letting Einhart come out with her before departing. Fate then went up to her studio and began to paint to distract herself from the silence of an empty house. She had often wondered what it would be like to live alone, had even claimed it wouldn't bother her once the day came. But now with the nearly deafening silence surrounding her she felt like a child again locked in the cellar. She was just waiting to hear _those_ footsteps overhead.

~"~"~"~

It was just suppose to be another relaxing Sunday afternoon as Nanoha lay on her couch trying to catch a small nap while her daughter went out once again with Einhart on some excursion in the city but at the moment she was anything but relaxed. The night before had been a wonderful experience, seeing Fate looking extra beautiful and nearly at ease with her surroundings thanks to the support she was receiving from all her new friends. Picturing the blonde again in that fitted black gown she felt once again the heat of arousal fill her, grunting she turned onto her side and tried to master the feeling. She had woken up that morning flushed and completely aroused by a racy dream heavily featuring the beautiful blonde and she didn't want to need another cold shower so tried once again to relegate the blonde in her head into a more neutral role…it wasn't working.

Struggling with fatigue and raging hormones she punched her pillow and now laid face down into it, maybe she could suffocate the damn feelings out of herself. Fate hadn't shown the slightness sign of being interested in more with her the night before, even after she had gone all out to make herself as attractive as possible. Then there was that idiot kiss on the cheek she'd given the blonde, surely Fate would have realized what it meant, she was hit on all the time. Millimeters, if only Fate had turned her head a bit they could have been properly kissing. Groaning again as her imagination began to wonder what the blonde tasted like.

Kicking off her throw blanket and rolling off the couch she made her way towards the stairs, cold shower two of the day was definitely on the menu when she was halted by her door bell ringing. Running a hand through her loose hair to settle it after her tossing and turning on the couch and smoothing her rumpled clothes she made her way to the door. Peeking through the peephole she saw it was Fate and felt her heart rate skyrocket. Quickly opening the door with a wide smile she greeted her favorite person, "Fate-chan it's good to see you, what's going on?"

Fate took in Nanoha's rather rumpled appearance, a stray lock of hair was sticking out cutely and without thinking she reached out and smoothed it down. The soft and silky texture of Nanoha's hair almost made her shiver. Nanoha in turn was ready to jump the blonde on her doorstep; the touch had been so light and innocent but had her already overheated body screaming. Fate closed her hand and pressed it to her side and with a soft blush she said, "Um Hi Nanoha, I hope I'm not intruding. I was just hoping you'd be willing to join me for lunch. Cia-nee apparently disappeared altogether yesterday, she finally sent me a text message around two a.m. this morning telling me not to worry and that she'll be home some time Monday. No explanation on where she is or with who but I'm use to that. So um with Einhart out I've found the house pretty unsettling, it's too quiet and I've made too much food. I'm so use to cooking for two or three, so uh will you come over?"

Fate was rambling, she never rambled, Nanoha wasn't sure what was going on with the blonde but the idea that she might have more of an effect on Fate than she previously thought was making butterflies take wing in her stomach. Smiling brighter at the woman she said, "Of course I will, I was just about to make myself a sandwich but eating with you will be much more pleasant. Um just let me straighten up a bit, I just woke up from a nap a few minutes ago."

Nanoha let the door swing open more and indicated for Fate to come in and take a seat while she got ready. Fate saw the pillow and small blanket on the couch giving evidence to Nanoha's words and without thinking picked up the soft fleece blanket and folded it neatly before setting it on the pillow beside her. Nanoha blushed at this, she should have put the things away before she even started for the stairs but her restlessness had gotten the better of her. Muttering a small 'thank you' to the blonde she picked up the items and put them back in her hall closet then quickly made her way up the stairs.

Fate watched Nanoha retreat then looked down at her hand; rubbing her fingers together she recalled the tactile memory of Nanoha's hair. She wanted to run her hands through it, bury her face in the sweet smelling locks. Taking a deep breath as she now clenched her hand tightly she pushed those thoughts aside. Nanoha was her best friend and the best partner she'd ever worked with, she would not endanger that no matter what her newly awakened hormones demanded.

Fate closed her eyes and took another calming breath when suddenly the image of her former best friend came to her mind's eye. She had never felt any romantic urgings until now but had once thought to trust someone outside her family with the full truth of her secrets and had been badly burned. The woman had pledge her eternal friendship and to accept Fate no matter what horrible secrets she kept. Fate had exposed herself to the woman and the shock and pity was evident instantly. Then disgust and horror and eventually fear settled in, after all didn't victims of abuse often become abusers themselves.

The eventual cooling of their friendship was something Fate had determined to be inevitable, but the whispered words behind her back hadn't been expected. The first time she heard the word freak whispered by lips that had once spoken kindly to her she felt her heart being torn in two. The woman had come to the horribly mistaken conclusion that Fate must have done something to have _earned_ her punishments. After all no mother would do such a thing without some cause. And if it was truly madness then how long would it be before Fate began to manifest the same sickness? Trembling she locked away the memories again. Pulling at her cuffs she straightened her clothes to make sure every inch she could cover without undue suspicion was covered.

When the auburn haired woman returned a few minutes later it was to the placidly calm face of the Ice Angel. Fate had retreated behind her façade and Nanoha had no idea why, or how to get her friend back. Lunch wasn't as pleasant as she had hoped and it was with a heavy heart Nanoha returned home. It seemed for every step forward she took towards deepening their relationship Fate would take a step sideways, not truly retreating from her but always remaining just out of reach.

Sitting alone on her couch after Nanoha's awkward departure Fate knew she would have to be completely honest with Nanoha soon and then she'd be alone again. Nanoha wasn't the type to be cruel but no one should be expected to accept such things about another and go on as if everything was normal. With high summer nearly upon them Nanoha could only be expected to ask questions. Questions she knew she wouldn't be able to avoid or misdirect. Momoko knew a little as did Miyuki, that the elder Takamachi women hadn't spilt her secret to Nanoha was only due to their respect for her privacy. They had seen her forearms after Miyuki's insane tackle of her, as they had struggled on the ground her sleeves had ridden up. Those scars had been enough to dissuade the woman from ever trying to divest her of clothing. Somehow Fate knew when the time came and Nanoha walked away, even if no ugliness ensued from her revealed secret, the pain of losing her would be many times worse than her first betrayal or even the injuries that caused her scars.

~"~"~"~

With every degree the outside temperature rose Fate's emotional stability became more unsettled. Nanoha tried to get Fate to talk about what was bothering her but only ever got in reply a monotonous, "Nothing." She tried to speak to the increasingly flaky Alicia about Fate's behavior and the blonde elder twin just shrugged and said, "She's always a bit cranky in the summer, come fall she'll be back to her old self again, trust me. Just don't push her too much and eventually she'll open up again." She then asked Einhart about her cousin's behavior and the teen only vaguely responded, "The heat makes her edgy and a bit moody. Just be patient, she'll come around again." At her wits end she turned to her own family who had known Fate for years and all of them said, "Just be patient, she'll tell you what's wrong when she's ready. Just be there for her, she needs a good friend."

Fate was shutting down emotionally yet seemed to cling to Nanoha at the same time. She still sought her out, even if it was to do nothing more than sit in her presence silent. It had been nearly six months since Nanoha had come into her life, and each day the auburn haired beauty integrated herself deeper and deeper into every facet of Fate's life. From social events where she guarded her from unwanted attention to art classes where she was a kind and patient partner mentoring _their students,_ to their normal day to day lives of work and family life where her presence often brought a greater measure of happiness and contentment than she had ever known. But it was the strange longings she was now having to deal with that was the only fly in the ointment, why was her body suddenly demanding things she had always found repugnant before and with Nanoha, the one person she ever felt truly comfortable with?

With the summer heating up the teens had left for a two week sports camp having left Friday just after noon. Alicia was set to be gone for a week on a photo shoot in Okinawa having left that same day bare minutes behind the teens in a whirlwind of bustling confusion so life for Fate was strangely quiet. She had been working longer hours in her studio to fight off the impending nightmares that always found her when her loved ones were away from her. This would normally not have affected her health but right before her family had left she had gotten drenched in a freak rain storm while out shopping for last minute items both her _children_ needed. While she took every precaution to avoid getting sick the longer hours quickly sapped her stamina and she fell ill two days into her lonely sojourn. She awoke on the third day with a raging temperature and sore throat. Taking some over the counter medicine she dressed and proceeded to work, she refused stubbornly to be laid up by a simple cold.

Fate walked into the office with a face mask on and her eyes hooded in the bright lights of the office. Nanoha took one look at her and jumped out of her seat, "Fate-chan, what in the world are you doing here, you're obviously ill."

The auburn haired woman was suddenly filled with guilt at not having checked up on her friend over the weekend, having spent the time with her siblings at the family dojo on a mini-retreat of her own. The time with her family had helped her calm her raw nerves and boost her flagging confidence. Both her elder siblings had pointed out that if Fate really wanted to cut the connection she could have already but she still answered her calls and opened her door willingly to her. Heck she still drove her to and from work nearly every day, those weren't the actions of a person who wanted to call it quits. Nanoha had accepted the words like a soothing balm to her battered emotions and finally allowed herself to enjoy the weekend. Having only returned that morning with her brother who had driven her straight to work before he stopped at her home to drop off her things, she hadn't even wondered where the blonde was.

Fate stumbled her way to her chair and croaked out, "We have work to do and it's not as bad as it appears."

"Unless you're actually the walking undead I can hardly believe that. We are ahead of schedule on the project so go home and rest," she retorted sternly.

Fate continued with her normal morning routine and leaned over to put her purse in the drawer when she fell off her seat. Nanoha gasped and hurried over to her to help her sit up. The woman's body was a burning inferno, she could only imagine how she had gotten to work in one piece. "Fate-chan are you alright? My Gawd you're burning up, we need to get you home, you are in no condition to work let alone being out of bed."

Fate finally gave in, slumping into Nanoha's embrace she croaked, "Bene, portami a casa." _[Fine, take me home.]_

Nanoha wasn't quite sure what that had meant but knowing casa meant home she hoped it was Fate agreeing to go home. She helped lift her back into the chair before calling their superior and reporting she was taking Fate home due to an illness. Yanagi-san then told her to take the day off too so she could watch over her sick partner seeing how they were neighbors and _best friends._ Nanoha agreed hesitantly as she was unsure if Fate would accept her help further than allowing her to get her home. After shutting down her work station and gathering their bags she took the blonde's arm and led her back to the parking lot. She wasn't driving the Ferrari thank the heavens but the SUV that Alicia normally drove, at least Fate had the good sense not to drive that speed machine when she was so poorly coordinated.

After settling Fate into the passenger seat and fishing out the keys from the blonde's purse she began to carefully drive them back to Fate's home. Once there it was clear her condition was worsening and Nanoha briefly contemplated taking the woman to the hospital but then Fate grasped the door handle and began to climb out of the vehicle. So she hurriedly turned off the vehicle and made her way around the vehicle and helped her up the walk. Unlocking the door she helped her remove her shoes and kicked off her own before leading her up the stairs to her bedroom. Once inside she sat the woman down on the bed and asked her where her PJs were.

Fate mumbled, "Non ti preoccupare, dormirò cosi," then she collapsed back into her pillows while grasping at the blanket under her. _[Don't worry, I'll sleep like this.]_

Nanoha shook her head at this but helped pull the blanket out from under her then pulled the covers up tucking her in snuggly. She then went to the bathroom medicine cabinet to search for cold medicine and fetch a glass water for her to wash it down with. After helping Fate to swallow the medicine she decided to let her sleep for a while before trying to make her eat anything. Nanoha padded back down stairs to check the pantry and frig to make sure there was orange juice and the ingredients to make rice porridge. Nanoha was conflicted she really didn't like being in Fate's home without anyone else around, it felt like she was spying or intruding somehow. She flicked through a magazine on the coffee table and then after an hour of failing to comprehend any of the mindless celebrity gossip threw it down in disgust. Then she heard a scream.

Nanoha nearly flew up the stairs and reaching the bedroom she found Fate flailing in her bedclothes and could hear her pleading in Italian. A nightmare and a terrible one if the tears and outright look of terror on the normally placid face of the blonde was any indication. She hurried over and attempted to awaken the woman as gently as possible and when she finally came too she was a shivering mess, clinging to Nanoha in her fear and relief.

Fear and fever fueled her mad ramblings as she clung tight to her one beacon in the storm, tears falling she pleaded, "Non lasciarmi da sola. Nanoha, ho bisogno di te, ti prego resta con me." _[Don't leave me alone. Nanoha, I need you, please stay with me.]_

Nanoha rubbed Fate's back and muttered soothing words to the frightened woman as she cried and shook with the aftermath of the nightmare. Fate's clothing was drenched in sweat from her fever and terror. Nanoha felt her heart clench, she desperately wanted to take all the blonde's fear and pain away but had no idea what to do. Falling back on her mothering instincts she said to the shivering woman, "Fate-chan we need to get you changed. You'll get worse if you stay like this."

Fate's mind was still reeling and so she nodded and pointed to her top dresser drawer. Nanoha gently extracted herself from the blonde's grasp and could feel her nearly clutch at her before controlling herself. She pulled out a set of silk pajamas, the top was a button up and the bottoms had a draw string to hold them in place. She set down the PJs on the bed before going to the bathroom once more to get a towel so she could wipe her friend down with before helping to dress her again. She then returned to see Fate trying to unbutton her blouse but her hands were shaking so Nanoha gently pushed them aside and began to undress the woman.

At first in the faint light of the room so couldn't see anything more the paleness of her skin but when she removed the shirt and pulled the long blonde hair out of the way to wipe her back she saw to her horror the faded scars running down her back, and arms. Suddenly all the flinching and shyness made sense, a terrible and horrible sense, who could have done this? "Oh my… who did this to you Fate-chan?"

"Mia Madre," she replied in her mother tongue but Nanoha knew enough to interpret this as _my mother_.

Nanoha shuddered to think a mother could do this to their child, but what about Alicia, had she suffered also? She was so stunned she didn't know what to say. Fate looked up at her, could see the shock and dismay, "È accaduto molto tempo fa. Non si preoccupi"

Nanoha shook her head, "I don't understand, Fate-chan speak Japanese."

Fate blinked and furrowed her forehead then repeated, "It happened a long time ago. Don't worry about it."

"Fate-chan, I'm your friend of course I'm going to worry. No one should ever be treated that way. I hope your mother was punished for what she did." She replied while stroking Fate's face, pushing her damp bangs out of her eyes so they could make eye contact.

The blonde turned her face away and reached for her night shirt clumsily, "She died in prison, hung herself with her own shirt. I was thirteen when she died, we were already living in Japan by then so we didn't bother returning for the funeral."

"How long did the abuse…when did it…ah," Nanoha knew she shouldn't ask, it was clear Fate didn't want to talk about it but she desperately wanted to know.

Jaw set Fate replied coldly, "I was six when it started and it ended when I was nine. Alicia was living with our father here in Japan after the divorce, I was left with our mother until they came to visit and found me…ha…I was mostly dead by that time."

Then she did look up, the fever giving her more courage or perhaps just loosening her inhibitions, "Are you happy now, you know, what difference does it make? I'm a goddamned freak, nothings ever going to change that."

Nanoha pulled back at the anger, the cold spite in her words. Then she recollected herself, this was Fate, a person so gentle and generous she was practically a living saint. This anger had to have come from somewhere, had someone made her feel like she had to be defensive of her past?

"No, I'm not happy, I have never really hated anyone in my life Fate Testarossa but right now I think I hate your mother more than words can describe. You were a defenseless child and she hurt you, if she was still living I think I'd hunt her down and hurt her, maybe even kill her for what she's done to you. You have nothing to be ashamed about, those scars don't make you any less a person. I don't know who made you think you're a freak but they're wrong, dead wrong."

Fate stood up, stumbled to the light switch and flipped it on, then took off her pants stood a long moment to allow Nanoha to see the scars on her stomach, arms and legs before turning her back to Nanoha. Her back was a mottled cacophony of scars, in some places scars laid over scars showing where poorly healed flesh had been reopened time and again. In the glaring light every mark became visible and the pain and terror of a child was clearly seen in those terrible hieroglyphs. Nanoha felt tears burn her eyes but held them back, 'she doesn't want or need my pity, she needs my acceptance, my friendship.' So she walked over to Fate and delicately reached out to touch her shoulder. Her finger tips trailing down the faded marks and then she took one more step closer before hugging her tightly. Ducking her head she pressed her cheek to the scarred flesh and spoke tenderly, "You are still Fate-chan no matter what happened all those years ago; this doesn't change how I see you. It just helps me understand why you are the way you are."

She turned head and pressed a kiss onto Fate's scarred shoulder blade, "You are still the same beautiful, talented and gentle person I've come to see as my best friend."

Fate's shoulders sagged and she felt tears come to her, not from shame or fear or pain but the sheer relief that Nanoha hadn't rejected her. She hadn't been disgusted by her body and that seemed too big of a miracle for her to take in. Nanoha lead her back to the bed and helped her get into her night clothes then pulled the blankets up over the shivering woman. When she started to get up Fate's hand shot out and grabbed her, "Please don't leave."

Brushing back Fate's bangs she said, "I am going to make you something to eat then I'll be right back, I promise."

Swallowing back a protest she let the auburn haired woman go and watched her carefully out of the room. The soft sounds of Nanoha in the kitchen reassured her she hadn't left her. After Nanoha returned with the rice porridge and over saw Fate eat a decent amount and drink a glass of juice she replaced the cover on the dish and helped the blonde settle back more comfortably.

Blushing a little Fate asked in a small voice, "Stay with me?"

Nanoha smiled and allowed herself to settle onto the large bed next to the blonde, the sick woman instantly shifted and hid her face in Nanoha's shoulder just as the woman had done to her in the movie theater. Thinking back to that day she realized she hadn't freaked out then when Nanoha curled into her and now the woman was an immense source of comfort. The parties and social gatherings they had attended together hadn't bothered nearly as much as they normally did all because she was there. Her smile lessening her social anxiety, suddenly she remembered the last time she had someone she could depend on like that. Fear stirred in her heart, was she becoming dependant on this woman? Was it fair of her to put that kind of pressure on her? But it wasn't the same a little voice in her head replied, even when Nanoha wasn't there all she had to do was think of her smile or her cute laugh and she could relax. She didn't need the woman like a security blanket to huddle behind constantly like she had needed _him._

Closing her eyes she tried to find sleep once more but it was elusive until her bedmate shifted and pulled her in closer, cradling her against her soft body and began to hum softly. Her frantic mind was lulled and soon she fell into a healing dreamless sleep.

~"~"~"~

Three weeks later

Nanoha was standing with Alicia and the girls while Fate spoke with her patrons, she seemed to glow with a confidence Nanoha had never seen before. Occasionally the blonde would look over to her and smile at her before moving her entranced admirers on to another painting. Nanoha didn't know what to do, she wanted more from Fate, that realization having grown stronger since Fate had finally reveled her painful childhood. She wanted to make Fate happy and knew just being with the blonde would always make her happy. Fate never expected her to be perfect or to want anything more than her comfort. In the past few weeks Fate's attitude towards her had grown warmer, going out of her way to treat Nanoha with utmost care and consideration.

Nanoha's romantic musings were interrupted when Alicia growled, "What the fuck is he doing here, that bastard?" at the sight of a handsome blackish blue haired man who had just entered the room.

Nanoha was caught by the urbanely handsome man's ice blue eyes then she saw Fate greet the man with a warmth that seemed to catch everyone with surprise, including the man himself. She pulled him into a side room and Alicia nearly took after them in a rage but her sister gave her a look before closing the door that clearly dissuaded the woman. Nanoha fidgeted in discomfort, "Cia-chan who was that man?"

"A fucking two-timing rat fink, he's Fate's former betrothed. He stood her up and ran off with his secretary that he got knocked up." Alicia was seething, it was clear she was about to snap and barge into that side room any second.

"Wait, Fate was engaged to him, I thought she never had a boyfriend or any kind of romantic relationship before," Nanoha's voice of distress making Alicia turn her attention to the shorter woman.

With ill grace she explained, "Fate and I grew up with Chrono Harlaown; his father was one of Fate's first mentors. The old man wanted them to marry and arranged it. Fate was only ever comfortable with one male of our own age and that was Chrono. Everyone thought it would be best that they marry as it was unlikely that she'd ever let any other man close to her. Chrono _seemed_ to care a great deal for her and protected her from bullies whenever I couldn't be with her. He's about four years older than us and graduated early, a real genius when it comes to the law, he's a hoity-toity corporate lawyer now, fucking shark."

"So they never really dated then?"

"Humph, I wouldn't call it dating but whenever Fate needed a "date" for a social event he'd be her escort. People used to say they were perfect for each other; he seemed to make her feel more secure in herself and willing to make tentative attempts at being social. When he ran off she just shut down, I had to kick her back into gear, it took months to get it clear in her head she didn't need him to hold her hand in order to be confident, at least where her artwork was concerned." Alicia was looking at the door once more with a burning glare while clenching her jaw.

They had been in the side room for nearly ten minutes and Nanoha was beginning to get worried, what the hell could they be talking about? Then the door opened and they came out with smiles and Fate's hand resting in the crook of his arm. She pulled him over to her family and friends who all seemed to be looking like they'd been pole-axed. "Cia-nee stop making that face, it'll get stuck that way. Nanoha I'd like you to meet an old friend of mine, Harlaown Chrono, his wife Amy should be here in a few minutes and I would like it if we could all go out to dinner after this event."

"Chrono-kun, this is my best friend Scrya-Takamachi Nanoha and her daughter Vivio. Oh this is Einhart-chan, my cousin, she's lived with Cia-nee and I for the past five years." Fate's tone was warm but firmly polite, as if she was setting the tone of the conversation and anyone who decided to defy her would be in a great deal of trouble.

The man bowed low to Nanoha and then gave her an appreciative smile, "I must say I'm very happy to meet you Scrya-Takamachi-san, you have made a real impression on Fate-chan. I never thought this day would come, but I always hoped one day someone would really reach Fate and show her how special she really is, I unfortunately was never suited for the job."

The man's words left Nanoha speechless, what the hell did he mean by all that?!

Alicia's eyes slit in anger, "As smooth as ever I see, Harlaown."

"Cia-nee, enough! I invited him here to finally put to rest to the quarrel between our families, I was never in love with Chrono-kun, I admit I was hurt when he left but not because I ever saw him in a romantic light, besides I was the one who told him to be with Amy."

"WHAT?!" her sister nearly screeched.

"There's still an hour left to this event, once the last of my patrons leave we can go somewhere to discuss this further, for now please just be polite and don't cause a scene," she said sternly, pointedly looking at her sister.

When Amy arrived about a half hour later Fate greeted her like an old friend and the woman embraced her just as warmly with tears in her eyes. She then joined her husband in looking over the artwork on display until the last of the patrons left. Finally the doors were locked up and Fate was free from her hostess role, sighing and rolling her shoulders she came over to the very obviously two separate groups. "Thank you all for being patient, I reserved a private dining room at a nearby restaurant so let's head out."

~"~"~"~

The party of seven was seated and after putting in their drink orders and receiving them she requested a few minutes to order, at that the waiter left them discretely. Fate decided to start before Alicia bit her tongue in half from the frustration of not being able to chew out their former childhood friend. "Cia-nee, please relax; I want to take my time in explaining this."

The older blonde huffed and sat back grudgingly.

"Sigh, okay…let's start at the beginning. Fifteen years ago Clyde Harlaown-sensei was my first real master and I became friends with Chrono-kun, he knew right from the beginning what happened to me as a child and always treated me with kindness. He was my knight in shining armor, at least that's how everyone described him. In reality he was more like a strong and protective older brother to me, I never developed any romantic feelings for him. But I made a mistake, I used him as a crutch, I depended too much on him to support me emotionally and that was unfair to him.

"I knew about his feelings for Amy but I never did anything to try to dissuade Harlaown-sensei from trying to arrange our marriage. I was being selfish, and when Chrono-kun told me about Amy's pregnancy I realized how truly selfish I had been. I told him to go be with her, but I didn't know how to really express myself properly, I made him feel like he was the one who was in the wrong when it was me all along. When I shut myself up after he left it wasn't because I thought or felt like he betrayed me, but because I was feeling guilty, I was sick with myself.

"I nearly trapped my brother-in-all-but-blood in a loveless marriage; I knew I could never make him truly happy; Amy has always been the one for him. But everyone around me at that point seemed to be blaming Chrono for betraying me, for breaking my heart, he wouldn't even reply to my calls. I can only be glad this whole misunderstanding didn't ruin his relationship with Amy. It's taken me years to finally get the nerve to reach out to him again, and then I had to guilt him into coming, for which I apologize but this was necessary. Chrono-kun, Amy-san, I want to take on your daughter Liera as one of my students."

"What, how do you know our daughter?" Amy asked dumbfounded.

"One of my other students, Caro, is currently her mentor. I have all my students work with younger children and offer guidance, I've found teaching others helps one grow as an artist. Caro showed me some of Liera's work and then I made the connection. She's very talented, perhaps will be even better than her grandfather if she gets the proper training." She replied with an amused smile.

"I…I…um have you spoken to her yet?" Chrono asked nervously.

"No, I haven't actually met with your daughter directly; I couldn't in good conscience do so with our families at odds with each other." Fate looked at the couple earnestly before continuing.

"Chrono-kun, Amy-san, please forgive me for my past selfishness and letting this whole mess spiral out of control. If you do not wish for me to teach your daughter I can understand but I would at least like to take this opportunity to try and rebuild the close relationship our families once had.

Chrono and Amy looked at each then laughed, they both reached out to gripped her hands before Chrono replied, "Of course, I've missed my little sister. As for teaching Liera that will be up to her, we can arrange a meeting if you like?"

Alicia was sitting there slack jawed, then seemed to gather herself, "What the hell Fate?!"

Her sister turned to look at her eyebrows raised in question.

"Why have you been holding all this in for years? What changed that now you feel confident enough to face Chrono and Amy all of a sudden, and don't say it's about Liera, there's more to this."

"If you must know, in the past few weeks I've found myself thinking a great deal about my past, my indiscretions, mistakes and weaknesses. I need to face up to them if I am ever going to be able to move forward. I am tired of being weak, of being afraid, and especially I am tired of hiding my feelings. I can't undo the past but I can take responsibility for my own actions, own up to my own sins. Letting Chrono-kun live with the guilt of "betraying" me was something that's been eating at me for years. I see in Liera a second chance, a chance to heal the rift between our families, besides it gives me joy to teach my craft. This is just the first step for me, like I said; I want to move forward with my life."

"Oh so does this mean you're ready to start dating finally?" was her sister's snarky reply.

Fate gave her a rather mysterious smile and said, "Maybe."


	5. Chapter 5: Growing Pains

A/N: I have decided who Alicia will be paired with based on feedback, it will NOT be Hayate as I wrote before, read on and I hope you all enjoy how I got them together, heehee.

Reply to Reviewers: Geeze folks NanoFate aren't even together yet and you are asking about babies. I have a few ideas on that but nothing definite. What do you guys think, at the end should we be neck deep in mini Fate-chans?

Disclaimer: I do not own the MGLN universe; I write for fun, no profit is made from my stories.

~"~"~"~

Chapter Five: Growing Pains

After the emotionally draining dinner Nanoha found herself wondering why she and Vivio had been invited along. The words both Harlaown-san (she refused to address him more casually, the man's smarminess was aggravating to her nerves) and Fate had spoken that evening left her perplexed. Harlaown made it seem like Fate's sudden surge of confidence had come from her association with herself but that couldn't be correct. Fate had so many other relationships longer lasting and more deeply intimate that there was no way their short acquaintance could have brought on such a radical change.

Watching the blonde three days later laughing more freely than she had ever seen her while playing with Einhart and Vivio made her heart twinge. Fate was so beautiful when she smiled and this new openness was making it harder on her to restrain her burgeoning attraction, sigh admit it, love, for the blonde. When Fate turned her ruby orbs to her and waved her over to join them she found she couldn't refuse. Pairing up for a new game, two on two flag football, at the insistence of the teens, Nanoha found herself being nearly run over by the exuberant teens and being knocked backwards. 'So much for no tackling,' she thought peevishly. Instead of falling onto the hard ground she found herself being captured in a pair of remarkably strong arms.

Looking up over her shoulder she saw Fate's worried face looking down at her. "Are you alright Nanoha?"

The feeling of Fate's soft curves pressing into her back was making her tongue-tied so she merely nodded and tried to stand up.

Fate released the sapphire eyed woman and turned her attention to the diabolic teens that nearly trampled her friend. Giving them both a stony frown she reprimanded them for their roughness and told them if such a thing happened again they'd be playing by themselves. The girls chastised apologized and took up their positions. Ten minutes later it was Fate's turn to be bowled over right into Nanoha's open arms.

Unfortunately for them both though the teens had imparted a bit of a spin to Fate's decent and she fell face first into Nanoha's chest with a soft 'uffph.'

The crumpled pair now on the ground groaned and Fate was blushing furiously at the fact her face had ever so briefly been planted in the valley of Nanoha's enticing cleavage. The sound of Einhart's panicked, "Oh Shit!" made Nanoha turn her head and see the two teens now looked guilt stricken.

Fate pushed her embarrassment away and said sternly, "Einhart language!"

Fate pulled herself up to her feet then extending a hand to Nanoha to help her up before turning back to the pair with a suspicious look on her face. Walking up to her cousin she gave the girl a look that had her ready to admit to her most sordid secrets.

With one eyebrow arched she asked in a coldly calm tone, "Well? Explain yourself. You never behave in such an unruly manner without reason, so spill it."

The teen's eyes darted all over the yard looking for an escape or perhaps a scapegoat to throw to her cousin's wrath.

"Einhart if I have to ask one more time you will be grounded until such time you are willing to admit to what's going on."

The girl wailed, "It wasn't my idea, I was doing what Cia-chan asked. She wanted us to get you and Nanoha-san to fall on each other. I don't know why, I didn't ask. She offered cinnamon rolls, I was weak, I'm so sorry!"

Fate smelled a cover story so pushed again, "Ah-ha, but that doesn't explain why Vivio-chan was your willing accomplice."

The pair flushed red and looked down, refusing to make eye contact.

Nanoha joined Fate and said in her most stern voice, "Scrya-Takamachi Vivio, you will explain yourself this instant!"

In a mummer she said, "She blackmailed me, us… she um caught us doing something we might not suppose to be doing."

Fate's interest surged at that, what in the world had the girls been getting into that they could be so scared of the consequences that they'd want to keep it hidden from herself and Nanoha? In a gentler tone she asked, "And exactly what was it she caught you doing? Admit to it and I won't hold it against you."

Einhart gave her cousin a fleeting look of hope but ducked her head again when she caught sight of Nanoha. Sighing Fate turned to Nanoha and asked, "Will you give them a free pass on it Nanoha? It's best it came out now so Cia-nee can't keep holding it over their heads."

Nanoha snorted a bit in frustration but finally agreed, "Just this once. Now spill it girls."

Einhart looked at Vivio and surprisingly took her hand before the pair looked up and said, "Kissing."

Fate covered her eyes with a long fingered hand, pressing her eyes in an effort to assuage the headache forming. In a weary voice she said, "Why in the world would you be afraid of me knowing this? You both know I have no issues with homosexuality, Cia-nee's proof of that."

"Well it was more Nanoha-san we were scared of finding out."

Nanoha blinked at this, "I don't really have an issue with you having a relationship but I will expect you both to be responsible about this. You're both young and I hope you aren't engaging in behavior that… oh Gawd I'm not that big a hypocrite…Please just be careful and be respectful of each other."

The girls were surprised at this and burst out in huge grins and hugged Nanoha tightly before turning to each other and hugging. Fate rolled her eyes and said, "Yes, yes, it's all very nice but while I said I wouldn't hold the kissing against I never said you're off the hook for knocking us over. I'm pretty sure Nanoha's lawn could use some care, I think you two should make your way over there now and begin. Mowing, weeding, hedges…front and back yards, the works, get me girls?"

Both gulped and scampered out of the gate to begin their punishment.

Rolling her shoulders she then sighed, "Sorry if I over stepped the bounds by punishing Vivio but I thought it best to get them out of the way while I deal with Cia-nee."

Looking at her friend and giving her a concerned smile, "No that was alright with me. They did plough you pretty good so I would've asked for your input on punishment anyway when dealing with Vi.

"Um what do you mean by dealing with your sister?"

Fate's face was its placid mask once again but there was a hint of wicked amusement in her warm eyes as she said calmly, "Oh, I'll just be having words with her."

Nanoha shivered at the calm tone and nodded.

~"~"~"~

Later that evening

Sitting at the Testarossa family dining table with Fate Nanoha found the house strangely quiet. Swallowing her nerves she asked, "Um Fate-chan you called me over for dinner but where did the others go?"

Fate was seated at the head of the table hands pressed together against her lips seemingly lost in thought. Looking up she said, "They're getting dinner, Cia is finding out just what it's like to have her family and friends conspire against her though. As further punishment I am having them run to the restaurant, the girls will keep Cia moving at an appropriate pace the entire way. Cia hates running and the girls know I am timing them. If they aren't home within a certain amount of time Einhart at least will be finding herself walking to school for a week and Cia will not be getting dinner, at least not anything I cook for a month."

Just then a huffing and red faced Alicia Testarossa stumbled into the house with a carefully packaged to-go order in a bag. The two teens that followed didn't look all that winded but actually had bright smiles on their faces from what must have been a form of revenge for themselves on the diabolical woman.

Nanoha couldn't help giggling at the sight of the woman and giving Fate an appreciative look for what was to her at least a grand method of revenge without being truly cruel or vindictive. Cia saw the look Nanoha was giving her sister and almost counted the forced run worthwhile. If she could just give them both the push necessary to get them to accept they were falling in love with each other and get them together she'd finally feel like she had made up for abandoning her little sister so many years ago. Fate needed to be with someone who would love and support her wholeheartedly and the way Nanoha looked at Fate made it clear she was up to the job.

Stumbling to the table she carefully dropped the large package of take out and then collapsed into her chair. Fate's deep burgundy eyes took in her sister's distressed appearance and couldn't help the small smile that formed on her lips as she spoke. "Why thank you Cia-nee, you made great time I must say. Wherever it is you've been disappearing to must be providing you with a good cardio workout at least."

Her sister growled at this as Nanoha and the teens all blushed at the comment, where Cia was disappearing to was still a mystery but all assumed a woman was involved. Einhart and Vivio sat opposite of Cia before the green haired girl reached for the package and began to unpack the containers. Soon the group was eating in a comfortable silence, Nanoha watching the teens quietly tease each other by picking at each other's plate to steal small morsels. Normally Nanoha would have reprimanded her daughter for such behavior but there was something strangely compelling in the flirty behavior. She felt a strong urge to do something similar but not with her daughter but with the beautiful blonde sitting beside her.

Fate was watching the pair also and felt a twinge of… _jealousy_? She had never been close enough with anyone to engage in such behavior and find it appealing. Oh Cia had stolen morsels of food from her before, normally the things she didn't like to eat in an effort to help her. But to teasingly take and give with another was something foreign to her. Fate felt her eyes being drawn to Nanoha and saw a small piece of meat on her plate which she could steal with ease. Ducking her head down she looked at her own plate and concentrated on her own food. God she was being strange but Nanoha brought out the most amazing feeling from within her and honestly she wanted to explore them. But Nanoha was such an amazing woman, why on earth would someone like her want to be with her in _that_ way.

~"~"~"~

Two weeks later

Hayate stood up from the head of the table and cleared her throat catching the attention of nearly a dozen people sitting before her in a private room at the Midori-ya Café. In her bright chirpy voice she said, "Okay I'm calling to order the inaugural meeting of Project NanoFate."

Alicia groaned, "Hayate-chan, be serious!"

The brunette pouted, "I am Cia-chan! Everyone here thinks those two should get their heads out of their…"

"Hayate!" the reproving voice of Momoko stopped the young woman from continuing.

Paling at the tone and backpedaling the woman said placatingly, "Um, sorry, right. Um we all here feel our loved ones, Nanoha-chan and Fate-chan, are quite obviously besotted with each other and need to stop wasting time and get together. After all Momo-chan wants more grandbabies."

The older woman blushed at the last bit but didn't deny the claim, by the heavens any babies those two had together would be gorgeous. The exchange elicited a soft giggle from a silver haired woman who took in the short woman with humored red eyes.

Seeing she hadn't received any further objections from Momoko and her ego being bolstered by the giggle Hayate was about to continue when Tea-chan spoke up, "Now I agree Nanoha-san makes Fate-san happy and they'd make a great couple, but is this really our business? I know Fate-san would be really upset if she thought she was being manipulated in any way."

Hayate frowned at this, but it was Subaru who responded, "Teeaaah-chan you don't understand. Fate-san is too shy to make a move, we have to help her. Besides it's not like we are trying to force Fate-san and Nanoha-san to like each, it's clear they already care for each other. We are just going to give them a little nudge."

Suzuka spoke up at that moment, "But we need to take Tea-chan's words into consideration here. We can't do anything blatant, if Fate-sensei gets scared off by our actions I know Nanoha-chan would be devastated. Momoko-san and I will only be able to do so much to protect others from the wrath of the White Devil if she finds out we caused Fate-sensei to run away."

Hayate and Arisa shuddered at this terrifying thought. Miyuki smirked at this and said, "Well, as long as we don't let Hayate-chan and Alicia-chan come up with plans anymore we should be fine. Really Cia-chan? Having my defenseless niece knock her mother over into Fate-chan?"

The little blonde blushed at this and snuggled a little closer to Einhart at her side but neither said anything to object to her aunt's words.

Cia pouted and said, "It helped a bit, you should have seen them making eyes at each other at dinner that night!"

Miyuki snorted at this and then let her eyes fall on another blonde who was seated at the table. The woman had gotten caught up in the Testarossa spider web of misdirection but seemed to have forgiven her girlfriend for her shady behavior. Miyuki leaned forward with a wicked grin on her face, "Now Carim-sensei, how would you like to be a real help here? I know you originally had sought out Fate-chan but got ahem…distracted by Alicia-chan. Now my little sister has a possessive streak a mile wide and can be a little scary when pushed but as long as you don't actually touch Fate-chan you _should_ be safe."

The blonde laughed at this, "Miyuki-san, you don't realize I know all about your sister. I may be a few years older than her but stories of her reached me through certain channels so don't try to downplay how…um territorial she can be. As to playing the patsy here and making her jealous by flirting with Fate-sensei, sigh, it will be a bit of a hardship, after all I already have the blonde I really wanted."

The bespectacled woman could only say, "Huh?" to this.

Carim giggled before hooking her arm with Alicia's and pulling her closer, "I knew it was Alicia-chan I was addressing that first night. I also knew she would pretend to be Fate-sensei in order to let her sister escape and _distract_ me from showering unwanted attention on her. While she was hmm distracting me I was fufufu sinking my hooks into Alicia-chan. My dear Alicia-chan has a bad reputation as a womanizer; I plan on _fully_ rehabilitating her. It really was funny when she finally admitted to who she really was after our fifth date."

The elder blonde twin blushed scarlet at this, she already knew she'd been played, both blondes had had quite a lot to admit but everything had worked out in the end. Grinning at the classically beautiful blonde snuggled into her she leaned over and kissed her cheek. Thinking to herself as she took in gleaming blue eyes, 'By all the gods in the heavens if this is the result of having been outwitted so be it, I'll be a halfwit for the rest of my life.' The rest of the group laughed at the blonde's response to her pleasurable predicament and then settled back to discuss their first sortie into pushing Nanoha and Fate together.

~"~"~"~

Meanwhile elsewhere in the city

It was Friday afternoon and they had just submitted another completed project to their supervisor to rave reviews. The golden pair was walking back to their office, standing a bit closer than was actually necessary but not so close as to spark rumors. Well no more rumors than their continued pairing at all Fate's social functions and having practically become Siamese twins inside and outside of work in general was causing. Even without their scheming relatives the pair was moving closer to each other day by day.

Fate had found she _liked_ touching Nanoha. Ever since that night where Nanoha had held her while she was sick she had found Nanoha was a pure source of contentment. Sometimes the touches would be accidental, well sort of, Fate had always been careful to avoid touching others but now she was relaxing her caution. If her fingers should brush Nanoha's ever so briefly when passing her something, well that wasn't her fault, but she'd enjoy the soft thrill of joy that flooded her. Other times it would be purposeful, though these touches were still rare. If she could see Nanoha was struggling with something she'd reach out and touch her arm or shoulder and softly speak her name. Nanoha would always relax at this and turn to Fate with those glorious sapphire eyes. The butterflies in Fate's stomach at those moments made her feel like the small fluttering feeling would soon carry her into the stratosphere.

"Fate-chan, since Yanagi-san said we can take the afternoon off what do you say we go home and change then go out for a bit? The girls won't be home for a few hours yet and it'd be nice to hang out just the two of us," Nanoha was trying to keep her voice light but she knew what she was asking was tantamount to asking the blonde out on a date.

Fate shivered a bit at the thought that they'd be alone together. Normally someone else was with them or they'd be surrounded by people trying to get Fate's attention so while they spent huge amounts of time together it was rarely alone. Even in the office people came and went from their office regularly now that Fate was behaving in a more relaxed manner. Most people had even stopped calling her the Ice Angel and had come to understand Fate really was just shy.

Swallowing her nerves and keeping her voice as level as possible she replied, "I'd like that. Maybe we can go see a movie, not a scary one though. I won't subject you to that again."

Nanoha felt heat flood her cheeks at that, she honestly wouldn't mind a scary movie if it meant she could crawl back into the blonde's lap for the entirety of the film. Of course being cuddled in Fate's neck for the duration of the movie would negate the ability to actually watch the movie. _Ah well sometimes sacrifices must be made._

"Um well actually there's this suspense thriller showing, I want to see it but it might be a bit much for me. If you don't mind holding my hand during the worst parts though I think I could enjoy it?" _Yes, ask for an inch then take a mile!_

Fate gave her a gentle understanding smile and said, "Of course, that's what best friends are for. Let's head home and change into something more causal and check the movie times. Depending on when the movie starts we may have time to grab a quick snack together on the way."

The drive home was shared in a comfortable silence as their arms shared the arm rest, lightly brushing. Nanoha had her hand held closed as Fate's hand rested on the clutch but with a small jostle of the vehicle on an uneven patch of pavement caused Nanoha's hand to slip and brush against Fate's slightly exposed wrist. The skin to skin contact was warm and neither wanted to move. With bated breath Nanoha shifted her hand and allowed it to more comfortably rest against the blonde's arm, almost griping the warm flesh but not truly closing her hand so as to allow her to shift the clutch as necessary.

Fate said nothing and continued to watch the road with a silent determination. Her heart was doing cartwheels and it was all she could do to drive correctly versus taking Nanoha's hand fully in her own, her transmission could go to hell in a hand-basket for all she cared. Pulling up to Nanoha's home she stopped at the curb and almost made a noise of regret when the warm hand left her. Smiling Nanoha exited the vehicle and said she'd head over the blonde's home once she was changed. Fate pulled into her driveway and with happy quick steps made her way inside her home.

In her excitement at going out with Nanoha she was skipping steps as she climbed the stairs in her urgency to dress so they could go out… _alone._ Opening her closet she found a pair of fitted black jeans and a purple light-cotton long-sleeve blouse. Quickly shedding her office-wear she then slipped on the jeans. As she pulled on one leg she looked up at the mirror and once again took in her scars. Nanoha had seen each and every one of them, had gently touched many of them as they had spoke about their past. Nanoha hadn't shuddered or cringed, she wasn't revolted by the marks and her touch had soothed the ghost of pain she lived with.

She had just finished brushing out her hair when the soft knock on the door had her sprinting down the stairs to the door. Opening the door slightly breathless and flushed she smiled at Nanoha and told her she just needed to grab her purse and slip on shoes then they could leave. Nanoha looked at the gentle slopes of Fate's curves and as the blonde bent to slide on her shoes her rear was put on display in a most tantalizing manner. Nanoha was struggling, she wanted to throw the woman down and do things she'd only imagined doing before. _Gawd I'm awful! Fate-chan trusts me, I can't just jump her, it'd freak her out and then she'd hate me forever._

Mastering herself once more and putting a happy smile on her face she allowed her bubbling lust to simmer just under the surface. There was no way she'd be able to _not_ lust over Fate but she could at least be respectful enough not to leer or grope her. Fate looked Nanoha in the eyes and saw the heat in her eyes; she couldn't quite interpret what she was seeing as she was so use to seeing raw lust, not loving desire. The heat was unique to Nanoha and Fate was drawn to it like a moth to a flame.

Taking Nanoha's arm she lead the woman out of the house and back to her car. Without thinking Nanoha found her hand resting once more on Fate's wrist. Fate smiled at the small connection and refused to comment on it, to point it out might make Nanoha's move her hand, might mean she'd have to examine why it felt so good. As they drove Nanoha (with one hand) skimmed through her phone and found the movie times. The next showing didn't start for another forty minutes so once they got downtown Fate parked and the pair decided to purchase tickets then check out the nearby shops. A small ice cream shop about a block down caught the pair's attention and they went in, the cool sweet atmosphere was welcome to the slightly overheated blonde.

Ordering and sitting at a small table near the window at the front of the shop the pair ate their sweet treat with a comfortable silence for a while. As they people watched Nanoha noticed a couple of girls walking on the street across the way, they held hands and laughed. Her heart ached as she ripped her eyes away from the pair and her eyes landed on Fate who was also watching the girls. Fate's brow furrowed for a moment as if she was trying to understand what she was seeing then her face calmed again and a small smile twitched at the corner at her mouth.

"I've never done that. Not with a friend at least. Cia-nee and Ein-chan have been attached to me like limpets but to hold hands comfortably and just walk down the street talking and laughing with a friend, never. It's one of those things I kind of want to experience but have no clue how to…how to get to that point. How do you know you won't be rejected? Or be seen as weird?"

Nanoha heard the longing behind Fate's almost too causal tone of voice and reached out to take her free hand before speaking. "We can do that, any time you want. I won't think you're weird and you'll never have to worry about me rejecting you, I lov…I'd love to hold your hand, you're my best friend."

Fate looked at their joined hands and was enjoying the warmth as Nanoha spoke, was she being conceited or did it seem like maybe Nanoha really did like her more than as just a friend? Giving the soft hand gripping hers a gentle squeeze she then allowed their fingers to lace and with a contented sigh looked back out the window. She couldn't muster the courage to look Nanoha in the eyes at the moment but would revel in the small victory she'd obtained.

Finished with their creamy treat they walked back to the theater hands still locked together. The feeling of Nanoha's thumb brushing across the back of her hand made the butterflies take wing again and it was all she could do to prevent herself from pulling Nanoha into a tight hug. The innocuous touches she'd been sharing with Nanoha over the past few weeks now made them almost habitual and was now pushing her to seek greater contact. Like a drug, Fate was finding she was craving larger and larger doses of Nanoha.

Nanoha spoke of an upcoming car show and wondered if Fate wanted to go to the event with her. Fate loved sports cars and the thought of spending a day with Nanoha looking over beautiful vehicles sounded like a slice of heaven. Fate agreeing wholeheartedly and smiling broadly at the offer made Nanoha's heart flutter and her arms ache with need to hug the blonde tightly. Gawd she was so beautiful and alluring, it was no wonder so many people wanted her, scarred or not the woman was so beguiling.

Settling into their seats the pair sat back and without really thinking about the implications of her actions Fate lifted the arm rest between them and took Nanoha's hand again. The fact that Fate had accepted this level of contact so quickly and without reservation made Nanoha's confidence take a giant leap into the stratosphere. Leaning slightly into Fate's shoulder she settled back and watched the previews with a contented sigh.

When the film turned violent Nanoha shuddered and turned her face into Fate's shoulder. Quickly Fate took this as a cue to put her arm around Nanoha and pull her in. Nanoha felt a rush of lust fill her when she received the strong embrace, would it really be all that horrible to press kisses to Fate's neck or to slid her hand up to explore Fate's glorious assets? The heady scent of Nanoha filling Fate's nose was making her feel edgy again, she wanted something _more_ , but couldn't define exactly what. She wasn't a naïve blushing virgin, she knew all about sex thanks to her sister's exploits even if she had never experienced it herself first hand. But the fact that she might want to experience those things with Nanoha hadn't quite registered in her conscious mind. She wanted to be closer, she wanted to possess Nanoha's heart but sex was still a foreign idea despite the increasing number of sexually explicit dreams she'd been experiencing.

By the time the movie was over the pair had found a comfortable position which allowed Nanoha to cuddle into Fate and the blonde to surreptitiously breathe in deeply the scent of Nanoha's hair. Walking out of the theater still holding onto each other each felt happy with the experience but both longed for more time _alone_ with the other. Fate shook herself mentally and berated herself. _Nanoha is my friend, it would be foolish to think just because she is so kind that she wants more._

They had walked past the car park where Fate's car waited and by mutual silent agreement continued walking to window shop. They'd just come to the crosswalk when Fate's cell phone went off. Pulling away reluctantly when she saw who was calling, Fate stepped off to the side of the sidewalk after giving Nanoha an apologetic glance. The one sided conversation Nanoha could hear made it clear Fate was unhappy with the topic. When the burgundy eyed woman finally sighed and agreed to the caller's demands it was with an air of resignation. Hanging up she then dialed a number and when Nanoha heard Fate request two weeks off from work from their employer she felt panic fill her.

Fate thanked her boss for his consideration once he agreed and hung up. Looking over at Nanoha who now had her arms wrapped tightly around her body she felt a rush of guilt. Her sapphire eyes were full of questions and _fear_. Knowing a public street was not where she wanted to have this conversation she placed a hand on Nanoha's shoulder and said, "I know that was abrupt but please let me explain."

The pair made their way back to the car, Nanoha still clutching herself tightly. She had to hold herself or risk doing something stupid like throwing herself on the blonde like a spoiled child and crying, 'No! Mine!'

When they returned to their neighborhood Fate pulled in to her driveway but instead of walking into her home she walked to Nanoha's. Fate knew Vivio and Einhart would go straight to the Testarossa home like a pair of stray cats looking for food once they got done with whatever it was they were doing together and she didn't want to have to deal with any interruptions just yet. Settling Nanoha on her couch Fate knelt in front of her suddenly closed off friend. It didn't fail to impress her as irony, she was normally the one to shut herself down and now Nanoha was doing it. She didn't begrudge her friend's behavior; to Fate if one was upset it was just natural to shut down and then need gentle prodding to open up again. So she never questioned _why_ Nanoha felt it was necessary to close down.

Taking her friend's hand as she knelt in front of her she said gently, "Nanoha, I really don't want to leave for two weeks. But I have a friend who needs my help, Shario Finieno is an art professor in France and she needs someone to cover her classes. It's just for a short time and I've done it a number of times before so she has come to expect me to do this. Yagami-san likes for me to do this also as it's a good chance to scout out new talent. I promise I'll be back in two weeks, there is nothing in the world that could entice me to stay."

Nanoha felt dread fill her, Fate was an excellent teacher and France allowed for same sex marriage. A few glasses of wine and who knew what some stupid French femme fatale could do with _her_ Fate-chan. If Fate had indeed spent time there before in the past at least one woman probably had her eye on the blonde. Now with Fate's increasing confidence she'd be attracting women like a beacon to the promise land.

Nanoha's anxiety and possessiveness made her speak without thinking, "Can I come with you?"

Fate froze like a deer in the headlights at this, Nanoha come with her to France for two weeks, Nanoha alone with her every evening and possibly sharing a hotel room. Mio Dio! She wanted it; by all the saints in heaven she wanted that very badly.

Nanoha took in Fate's stunned look and freaked out, "Oh um I'm sorry Fate-chan, I'm just being stupid. I'll really miss you and everything but really it's not like I can't survive two weeks without you. I mean we're best friends and I like seeing you everyday but it's not like this is life or death."

Fate felt her heart twist, she wanted to be indispensible, Nanoha was quickly becoming her most important person, the person she needed in her life to be happy. Looking down at the carpet and not knowing what she was saying but giving her hurt a voice she said, "I would have liked you to come with me, but you're right, we don't have to be together 24/7. Besides what would you do with Vivio? I'm normally fearful of leaving Einhart alone with Cia-nee as it is, at least now I have the peace of mind of knowing you're nearby to watch out for them. But I…I would have liked to have shown you around, to have the chance to share the places I love most there. Who knows maybe someday in the future we could…well you know?"

Now Nanoha found herself between a rock and a hard spot, Vivio was nearly seventeen now, hardly a helpless babe. With her parents and siblings nearby the teen would be fine no matter what came up during those two weeks but then there was Einhart and Alicia. Staying home and watching out for Fate's family would definitely earn her brownie points but she wanted Fate all to herself.

In the end selfishness won out over consideration for their families and she blurted out, "I'm sure Mom and Miyuki-nee would be happy to watch out for the girls. I mean if you are alright with me coming then I could ask them. You know mom can keep Cia-chan in line and she loves both the girls."

Fate grinned, "I'll call my travel agent and book our tickets then. We'll need to leave tomorrow so there isn't much time."

~"~"~"~

Alicia was looking at her phone like it had just connected her to an alternative universe. Her sister, her baby sister, her introverted and painfully shy baby sister was leaving town for two weeks and had somehow arranged for Nanoha to come with her. No prodding, no sly tactics needed from her family or friends. Damn that girl was good! Too bad Fate didn't pack the proper equipment or Alicia would have laid down good money that Nanoha would be knocked up before they came home. Maybe her baby sister had picked up her mad skills by osmosis?

Alicia sitting at the table with her stupefied look made the others look at her with worry. Carim finally poked her lover's cheek and asked, "Cia-chan, love…what's the matter?"

Blinking away her shock she said, "Fate-chan and Nanoha-chan are going to France for two weeks on an impromptu "business trip." Apparently Shario Finieno called her and asked her to cover her classes and Nanoha is going along to interview prospective employees for their company. Their boss is even offering to reimburse them a portion of the expense if they can find at least one serious prospective who would be willing to at least work temporarily at the company during their winter break. Damn, my little sister somehow managed to arrange a romantic getaway with Nanoha all on her own, and might be able to get her boss to pay for it, that girl is something else!"

Carim rolled her eyes at her girlfriend, then in a teasing tone said, "I guess this means I don't need to make a spectacle of myself after all? If two weeks in France doesn't shift them from the friend-zone into lovers I doubt anything will."

Hayate and Momoko looked at each other hopefully then both shook their heads. Momoko sighed then started raining on the parade, "Sorry but it's just as likely you'll still need to give them a push when they get back. My daughter is so self-conscious and reserved when it comes to matters of the heart that without help or a confession from Fate-chan and she'll likely continue behaving like a pubescence teen."

Alicia frowned at this and Hayate continued, "Cia-chan, you have to understand where Nanoha-chan is coming from. She never dated in high school and when she finally went to college she only dated one person. Nanoha has zero real experience with romance; her only "boyfriend" was a boy she grew up with and had known since she was in elementary school. She never even developed "feelings" for him; it was just her getting drunk and manipulated that led her to marrying. Fate-chan being so shy will be a real hindrance to them coming together, I don't know if Nanoha has the nerve to push for more. Despite Nanoha being such an independent and strong willed woman she is just a child when it comes to matters of the heart."

Alicia thought about this and then got a wicked smile on her face, "Oh if that's the case then I know just the girls who would just love to give your sister a push, Lucino Liilie and Alto Krauetta are student aides for Shari-chan, they love to tease Fate as it is but this will tickle them to no end."

Carim sighed in relief; she really didn't fancy traveling to France just to flirt with someone she had no interest in. Seeing how the Testarossa household was about to be a little emptier there would be so many better things she could be doing with her lover at _home._

Miyuki seeing the way Carim was looking at Alicia spoke up, "In the meantime, Vivio-chan and Einhart-chan can stay with us. Mom and I would love to take this chance to bond with our cute future in-law."

Einhart blushed, she wasn't sure if the in-law gag was meant to tease her because of her relationship with Vivio or the fact her cousin was set to start a relationship with her girlfriend's mom.

Momoko smiled at elder twin and said, "Yes, I think the next two weeks with the right conditions might change everything for the Testarossa family. You three need proper partners to keep you out of trouble."

Alicia choked at that while Carim nodded her agreement. Einhart felt Vivio squeeze her arm and give her that bright smile that made her stomach flutter. Smiling back she thought, 'When in Rome, or anywhere else for that matter, do as the Takamachis tell you!'

~"~"~"~

A/N2: Ending here for now, next chapter Trip for Two and Lots of Trouble…maybe. I'm leaning towards fluff as I love the NanoFate snuggles. But I think I'll continue to torture everyone by dragging out the confession. Originally I imagined the confession came after Fate disappeared on a trip and they had to suffer without each other. But I am seeing things differently now, I like having them in a grey zone where everyone sees them as a couple but they keep dancing around each other until bam! Nanoha jumps Fate and eats her like the evil carnivorous creature we all know she is. No, not really...hmm maybe? Reviews are always appreciated. I would also like feedback on what y'all see as the best way for how my version of the idiot love birds should get together.

P.S. I really didn't want to use Carim to antagonize Nanoha, especially since she is now paired with Alicia. I don't think Nanoha would appreciate her future sister-in-law flirting with her future wife, even if it's just a ploy to help them get together. Good Carim this time, not a weird one like in my last multi-chapter story. I don't think Ginga is going to get much mention either in the future; I am sort of done with screwing around with her, I have enough antagonists with the Scrya family who will be coming out of the woodwork soon. Though I do have another story line in mind with her as a ultra evil manipulative b!tch…soon…let me finish this please beneficent muses.


	6. Chapter 6: Trip for Two

A/N: Hello again. Not a lot of physical action in this chapter but I think both characters moved forward a bit emotionally. This is just the first day of their trip, not sure how many more chapters will be dedicated to this trip but I like how things are going so far.

I hope I haven't offended anyone with the religious views incorporated in the story. I am a Christian and really don't want anyone to try to evangelize me. I am trying to keep Fate pretty neutral when it comes to religion as I have seen people go to both extremes after a harrowing experience. Fate in the anime seems like she would be respectful of all creeds. As an Enforcer she'd come across a lot of different cultures and religions and she seems like the kind of person who would respect those who respect God, whatever form He/She/It takes.

I also hope I don't offend any American readers. I am American born and bred (and sometimes even breaded like fried chicken), I have traveled outside of our country and the complaints Fate mentions are some I've heard from people from other countries about us. I also have had to deal with gross hotel food, I am not sure if it really is an attempt to make food _American_ or just a punishment for pain-in-the-ass tourists.

Oh please don't complain about me cheating, or cheap reveals. There will be a proper reveal of Fate's feelings. Right now she is working through them and once she fully comes to grip with them she will say it properly.

Side note: _[italized]_ is the translation of the Italian spoken. Thank you Google Translate!

Side note of no real importance: Mentos (the freshmaker) mints and Soda, if you haven't played with them yourself and/or have never seen what they do to each other please YouTube the phenomenon, fun stuff.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the plot, MGLN will never be mine. I make no money from this.

~"~"~"~

Chapter Six: Trip for Two

Fate awoke to an annoying dinging noise and a masculine voice speaking but that wasn't the real reason why she was now fully awake and her mind in turmoil. In her sleep she'd been dreaming of something pleasant and warm and now she knew why it had seemed so real. Across half of her body was another body pressing into her. If that wasn't enough to normally send her into a panic the feeling of a hand, a warm, soft and incredibly wonderful feeling hand, was laying on her bare skin. On the curve of her waist it held her securely just above the waistband of her pants and for the first time in her life she wondered what it would be like to be intimate with someone else. To make love to someone vitally important to her, fall asleep and wake up tangled together, would it feel something like this?

The warm body began to move and the soft movements and cute little waking up noises it made was sending Fate's blood pressure through the roof. When the hand slid across her stomach before being pulled out of her shirt she wanted to groan. How the hell could something so simple feel so damn good?

Nanoha had heard the dinging noise and waking realized with embarrassment how clingy she had become in her sleep. But the feeling of Fate's warm body under her was not something to be wasted, who knew if she'd ever get to feel this again. Carefully she stretched and let her hand trail across Fate's stomach, the soft skin with the faint ridges of her scars felt amazing. Like a blind woman she wanted to let her hands wander the length of Fate's body and read her like Braille. Learn all her secrets and commit each detail to memory.

Now sitting back in her seat properly she sighed before opening her eyes to take in Fate's reaction to her sneaky quasi-grope. Fate eyes were darker than normal and her face slightly flushed. Both of these things might have been put down to the woman just waking but Nanoha's hormones reacted like a Mentos in a can of cola. If they hadn't been on a crowded airplane at that very moment Nanoha wasn't sure if either of them would have had clothes on for much longer. Needing a moment to calm herself she turned away from the dark eyes to look out the window. The skyline of Paris and the surrounding urban sprawl of homes and businesses that seemed to extend as far as the eye could see was an awesome sight, they really were in France together…alone.

~"~"~"~

Coming off the plane found them holding hands once more, it seemed the _rational_ thing to do as Fate didn't want to lose Nanoha in the rush of disembarking passengers. Making their way to baggage pickup she was suddenly being tackled by two young women with a squealing, "Dr. Testarossa!"

Fate felt her eye twitch; she really hated being called that. It reminded her of her mother, so what if she had a doctorate in art history, she wasn't a _real_ doctor and she never would be. Pushing the overexuberant girls off of her she said with an exasperate tone, "Girls, I told you to call me Professor Testarossa or Fate-sensei, calling me a doctor sounds too conceited. Ah, that's beside the point. Let me introduce you to my partner, Scrya-Takamachi Nanoha.

"Nanoha, let me introduce you to Lucino Liilie and Alto Krauetta, they're student aides and _will be_ very happy to assist you in anything you need while we're here."

The pair turned their eyes to the auburn haired woman and smiled broadly before bowing low to the older woman. In concert the pair said, "It's an honor to meet you Scrya-Takamachi-sensei."

The pair then pounced on the woman, each taking an arm and began to talk rapidly to her as they continued down to the luggage area. Asking questions and then answering for themselves and giggling. Fate shook her head at their antics, she had known the girls since they were freshmen at the university and as the years passed they only got more hyperactive and exuberant.

Following behind for a short while listening to the chatter she slowly began to feel uncomfortable with how clingy the girls were being with Nanoha. One would touch her face or hair while the other would feel the texture of her clothing or examine Nanoha's nails. She'd been subjected to this minute inspection before but to have Nanoha subjected to it was… _annoying_. Fate pushed forward and without thinking slid between Nanoha and Alto then pulled Nanoha out of Lucino's grasp. The girls were getting too touchy for Fate's comfort level and with a sharper tone then necessary said, "Alright, enough with the Spanish Inquisition. Remember what I've always told you about respecting people's personal space."

The fact that Fate hadn't released her tight grip on Nanoha as she said the last and seemed in no hurry to do so made both the girls smirk. Both had been told to make Nanoha jealous but _they_ knew that would do no good. They needed to make **Fate** jealous; the woman lived in an oblivious bubble, if anyone was ever to get together with her then Fate needed to realize that's what she wanted. Project make Fate-sensei insane with jealousy had just begun.

~"~"~"~

Escaping their guides with a claim of being tired and wanting a nap the pair checked in and rush up to their room once they arrived at their hotel. As Fate and Nanoha walked into their hotel room one appalling detail came immediately into focus causing them to blush. Fate would have to kill her travel agent the next time she saw the woman. She distinctly remembered telling the woman they needed either two separate rooms or a room with two beds. Instead in front of them was a single bed, albeit it was a huge one, it was still just _one_ bed. Feeling like she needed to clarify she had nothing to do with this mix up Fate opened her mouth and let her panic carry her away.

"Um Nanoha, I am sorry about this. I told Mari-san we needed two rooms or beds during our stay. I can go down and ask if they have any more rooms. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable."

Then Fate fled without waiting for Nanoha's response. Nanoha was still stunned at the idea of sharing a bed with Fate. The fact that Fate was now trying to undo the predicament was disheartening but she could at least stand here and dream.

Twenty minutes later a frazzled Fate returned to the room with a slightly panicked look. Nanoha came over to her and took her hand, "Fate-chan what's the matter?"

Fate stared at their hands and spoke, "There aren't any more rooms, there's a convention in town. Apparently my agent was lucky to find this one room as it is."

Nanoha could see Fate was upset and despite the fact that she wanted nothing more than share that big bed with Fate she'd never do anything to make the woman uncomfortable. Squeezing her hand she said, "It's okay Fate-chan, we'll make do. This room is huge so we can buy an air mattress and I can use that while we're here, after all I'm the one who decided to tag along like a burr."

Fate frowned at that, she didn't want Nanoha sleeping on the floor; she wanted her in the bed next to her, preferably snuggled in tight with her like on the plane really. That thought struck her hard and she began to shake. She _wanted_ Nanoha. She _wanted_ Nanoha to touch her and press herself into her _naked_ body. She wanted those hands on her. Oh god, what in heavens was going on with her?

Nanoha felt Fate begin to tremble and felt her heart break, Fate was freaking out over them even sharing the room, oh Gawd there was no hope of them ever moving closer.

Pulling away to give the woman room she wrapped her arms around her waist in an effort to contain her own hurt. In as even a voice she could muster she said, "I'm sorry Fate-chan, I ruined everything by coming with you. I can call the airline and look into going home now. I won't force you to deal with me; you have enough on your plate with classes."

Hearing these words sent Fate into a tailspin, Nanoha leaving, Nanoha sounding so sad and hurt, it was too much. Something snapped in her and Fate stepped forward and without thinking she closed the distance between herself and the auburn haired woman and hugged her tightly.

Voice trembling she said, "Don't go."

Nanoha's arms instantly wrapped themselves around the blonde as she melted into the embrace, hiding her face in Fate's neck she asked carefully, "Are you sure? I don't want you to feel uncomfortable. You've already experienced what I'm like when I fall asleep, I'm a snuggler. You won't get a moment's rest like that I'm sure."

Fate rubbed her cheek against Nanoha's soft hair and the floral scent made her head swim and gave her an insane amount of courage like potent liquor. "I like it. I don't know why but I really like it when you are close to me. I've never felt like this before. I don't know what's happening to me but I know I like it and despite the fact that almost everything about this situation is terrifying I can't stand the idea of you leaving."

It wasn't a declaration of love or even of physical attraction but it was more than Nanoha had ever hoped to get from Fate. Hugging her friend tighter she took the admission as a small sign that there may be hope for them, she just had to patient, and for Fate she'd wait until the end of time. Pulling away she smiled and said, "In that case I think we should get settled in. It's pretty early still so maybe you can show me around a bit. I've never been to Paris before; I sort of avoided it before."

Fate understood the shorthand, Yuuno had wanted to bring her and Nanoha hadn't wanted to be here with him. It was the romance capitol of the world; it'd pretty much ruin it though to be here with someone you didn't really feel romantic feelings for. The fact that she was here with Fate had to mean something so…no it was too much too soon to be thinking about things like that.

After cleaning up and putting away their luggage the pair found themselves on the broad avenues of Paris. Fate looked up and down the boulevards getting her bearings and then taking Nanoha's hand she set off at a brisk pace. Nanoha looked at the blonde and saw she was holding herself a little differently. She was like she was at social events, very upright and purposeful looking but without the underlying current of strain. They had gotten away from the touristy area of the city about three very long blocks later and Fate flagged down a slow moving taxi. Opening the door she then motioned Nanoha into the vehicle before settling in next to her and speaking in fluent French to the driver to give him directions.

Nanoha had heard Fate speak Japanese, Italian, English and now French, how many languages did the woman speak?

"Fate-chan how many languages do you speak?"

Looking back at Nanoha she furrowed her brow, "Hmm, just the four, though I must say my English is atrocious, I hardly use it and I mangle words all the time. I understand a smattering of German and Spanish but I wouldn't attempt to speak them, I've tried and it's not pretty."

Sapphire eyes gleamed with amusement at this pronouncement, she'd heard Fate's attempts at English and it was too true. After living in English speaking countries for more than a decade her English was nearly perfect and she was almost as comfortable speaking it as her mother language of Japanese. "I could help you with it, English if you like, if you'll teach me a bit of your mo…um native language."

Fate wasn't all that touchy about the word mother as most would think she'd be, after all she had a number of good experiences with other mothers since her own childhood. Takamachi Momoko just being one of them, then she thought of her other mother and how much she missed the woman after the falling out, she'd have to see about a layover in Britain on the way back for a quick visit.

"I'd be happy to teach you my mother tongue, it should be fun. But in the meantime I'll likely be depending on you to help me with English. A lot of the students here either only speak French or are bilingual with English so I'll try to stick to English as much as possible while on campus so you'll understand what's going on. I try to avoid Japanese while I'm here since nearly no one around speaks it, people look at me like I'm rather rude."

The taxi came to a stop in front of a rather decrepit looking building bringing a smile to Fate's face. Opening the cab door she slid out and then leaning through the front passenger side window paid the driver and asked him about possibly sticking around the area for an hour or two so they could use his services to get to another location further out of town. The man was ambiguous in his reply and pulled off as soon as he pocketed his payment and the generous tip. Fate sighed, taxi drivers were such strange characters, either nosey and verbose or complete grumps who'd grunt at you.

Taking Nanoha's hand she led her to the building's huge oak door with iron fastenings, without a second of hesitation Fate pushed the door open and Nanoha had to stifle a gasp of surprise. Inside the crumbling building were some of the most beautiful frescos she'd ever seen. Then there was the lighting, the small windows appeared to be finely made stain glass masterpieces depicting scenes from the life of Christ.

There was a small basin on a table with a collection box right at the entrance and Fate dropped in a few bills along with some loose coins. Then dipping a finger into the basin she crossed herself in a practiced manner. It was the first time Nanoha had ever since the blonde do anything remotely religious and made her wonder what Fate believed in. Foregoing the holy water but dipping her head in a sign of respect to the altar as they passed it Nanoha followed Fate closely as they made their way to the frescos.

Fate's eyes took in the colors and vibrancy of the frescos and felt the same wonder she always did when she came to this small church. The parishioners had commissioned the artwork hundreds of years prior and preserved the work with pride. It had been a young and relatively unknown artist who had been a devoted Catholic who had painted the works with a passion. He had died of lung disease a few short years later never receiving the critical or financial recognition he deserved. The stain glass work had come a century later during a flush period for the small church. A wealthy parishioner had commissioned the work in hopes of earning a better place in heaven. Foolish and a worthless gesture if one was a true Christian but the man hadn't lived a very Christian life up to that point and had grasped at every Indulgence he could.

The truth behind most religious artwork was usually sordid and depressing but the resulting work never failed to lift her spirit. As they walked along the beautifully decorated walls and came to a stop to the windows the pair took in the colors with silent wonder. Nanoha eventual felt her curiosity get the better of her and asked, "Fate-chan, do you believe in god?"

Fate furrowed her brow and looked at Nanoha questioningly, "Of course I do. Don't you?"

Nanoha was surprised by the response but replied, "Well I believe in Kami but that's not the same as believing in a single omnipresent being like a Christian."

Fate laughed at that, "No, that's a far cry from being a Christian. But I really don't consider myself a Christian anymore. As I said I believe in God but I stopped believing in churches or organized religion a long time ago. I love religious artwork but after studying art history I really lost my strict belief in the church. God made the world and clearly made everything upon it; we are no accident of nature. Life is too special and unique to be an accident. But as far as understanding who or what God is I haven't the foggiest idea. I haven't a clue as to what God could really want from us, if anything; something so immense is probably beyond human comprehension so I really don't bother."

"So it was your studies that destroyed your belief in the church? Hmm, I'm surprised your childhood didn't make you lose faith in a god, a lot people become atheists after bad things happen to them."

Laughing at these ideas, "My family was never big on church to begin with and my studies just put the final nail in the coffin. But I know all the rituals and stuff, I respect those who respect God, I won't disparage someone else's beliefs.

"As for my childhood, God had nothing to do with what my mother did to me. I am a firm believer in free will and what she did was all on her. Neither God, the devil nor I had anything to do with what drove her to do what she did. Even when I was a child I understood that. She wasn't right in the head a lot of time and I wish she had gotten help, she knew she was doing wrong but just didn't care."

"So you think she had some kind of mental illness? Does that scare you?"

"Hmm, no, there is no history of mental illness in our family. I know both Alicia and I were tested growing up to make sure we didn't have schizophrenia or dementia or a host of other conditions after what happened. As for our mother I have a theory on why she acted the way she did but Alicia disagrees with me. She says I'm just trying to excuse her behavior, but I am not, she should have gotten help, there had been a clear decline in her behavior and she was just too proud to admit there was something wrong with her."

"What happened, or what do you think happened?"

Nanoha knew about the scars and had had the acts behind their creation described to her. The 'how' discussion had been disturbing but Fate had been reticent about talking about the perceived reasons for her mother's actions until now.

Fate smiled at her question and pulled Nanoha over to the pews and they sat together looking over the beautiful church as the blonde got ready to speak. Settling back on the hardwood seat Fate closed her eyes as she tried to remember that time.

"I don't rightly remember my mother before the divorce but I have seen home movies and pictures and it was clear at the beginning of her marriage and motherhood she was happy and very loving. The love she displayed for my father and us as babies was amazing when looking back in retrospect. When I was about four years old there was an accident at the laboratory she worked at and she was seriously injured, nearly died. She received a pretty traumatic head injury and had been exposed to some experimental chemicals. Either of those things could have contributed to her changing behavior. Within a year she was heavily drinking and acting more belligerently. When she began to slap our father everyone knew something was wrong, they had been incredibly loving to each other and this was completely out of character for her. To give you an idea of how love-dovey they were your parents remind me of what the old videos show my parents to have been like.

"Father tried to get her to get counseling but she just lashed out at him more. Eventually she attacked him with a kitchen knife and that was it for father, he disarmed her and locked her in a bedroom. He called a divorce lawyer and tried to get custody of both of us girls but mother still had a great deal of family wealth and prestige to fall back on. She was awarded custody of both us girls but as a concession to father told him he could have Alicia. I think she knew if Alicia stayed with her eventually she'd end up abusing her also and Alicia was her favorite. So father left and took Alicia with him even though he want both of us and me in particular since I had already shown signs of being an artistic prodigy.

"After they were gone she stopped caring about everything. They had provided her the last vestiges social restraint and I quickly became the embodiment of everything wrong with the world. At first she'd just scream at me and force me to go without meals. Then the first time she slapped me she freaked out, I looked exactly like Alicia at the time, now a days there is a clear difference if anyone takes the time to look at us properly. But back then no one could really tell us apart, Mother was facing Alicia with a swollen cheek and that was not something she liked seeing. When she finally devolved enough in her sanity to actually torture me she made me wear a cloth sack over my head. The fact that the sack was too big and normally hung down to my upper shoulders is the reason I have no marks on my neck.

"Alicia feels incredibly guilty over what happened to me, as if her being there might have stopped it from occurring. It wouldn't have, I think it would have been worse. Besides who would have come to rescue me? Father had proven he had no qualms about leaving me with a woman obvious losing her grip, without Alicia constantly badgering him he never would have returned to Italy. He would have washed his hands of us children and started over. Only after the Polizia found our bodies would he have mourned us and bemoaned the lost."

"Do you blame your father for what happened to you?"

"No, but I do resent him for his cowardly behavior. He supposedly loved my mother greatly, loved me but abandoned us both when we were both at our most vulnerable. He could have gotten my aunt to intercede with her sister and if nothing else have her committed. But he claimed to have not wanted to shame her by having her institutionalized. Well she ended up in prison and I nearly died thanks to him wanting to spare her feelings. I know it's wrong to say but I was happy when he died, he always looked at me with guilt in his eyes, like I was broken. Both my parents leave me feeling uneasy. They are the reason why I don't want to have children of my own, how much of them is really in me? I believe in free will and that we choose how we deal with things but what if in a moment of stress I turn out to be a coward or a monster after all."

Nanoha hugged her friend tightly and said, "You are a billion times better than your parents. You are no monster or coward; I'd be willing to stake my life on that."

Holding Nanoha tightly she replied, "Thank you for believing in me. Hearing that from you means a lot to me. Alicia and Einhart have said it to me many times but they're family and one comes to expect family to just tell you what you want to hear sometimes."

Nanoha pulled back and grabbed hold of both of Fate's hands before pulling them to her mouth to kiss them and saying, "I will always tell you the truth Fate-chan, it might not always be what you want to hear but you deserve honesty especially if it'll help you move forward."

Fate pulled Nanoha's hands to her at that and placed her own set of kisses on them before saying, "Thank you, I'll depend on you. I know I can trust Nanoha."

~"~"~"~

They had been walking down a section of the River Seine when Fate a received a call on her cell. Seeing who it was she pulled away and motioned for Nanoha to hold on for a moment. After a few exchanges Fate agreed to the caller's demands and switched off her phone. Looking over Nanoha with a more critical eye she nodded to herself and thought they wouldn't need to go back to the hotel. Nanoha was beginning to get worried as Fate was being mysterious and refused to reveal where she was now taking her.

When they arrived outside of a grubby looking establishment Nanoha had no idea what to think, Fate had proven to her multiple times the folly of judging by exterior appearances. Walking in hand in hand the interior of the restaurant was gorgeous, the walls covered frescos and trailing ivy.

Suddenly there was a brown haired woman with glasses who cried out, "Fate-sensei, it's so good to see you again Mon Ami!"

Releasing Nanoha's hand she stepped over to the elegantly dressed woman and gave her a half hug much to the woman's surprise and then stepped back and said, "Shari-sensei, you are looking well, I am glad to see they aren't working you too hard just yet. Let me introduce you to my partner, Scrya-Takamachi Nanoha. Nanoha this is Shario Finieno a very good friend of mine."

The woman's aqua blue eyes opened slightly wider with her smile at the introduction and stepped forward to greet Nanoha, "It is an honor to meet you Scrya-Takamachi-sensei. I have heard nothing but great things about you. You will have to forgive me for stealing Fate-sensei so suddenly but she is the only person I trust with my classes. Usually my other work doesn't conflict with my teaching but alas this time I will be stuck in a warehouse from before dawn until after dusk."

Nanoha blushed when she realized she had no idea what this other work was. All she had been concerned about was not losing a single second of her Fate-chan time. Feeling a little foolish she replied, "I'm sorry in all the rush I never did ask Fate-chan what kind of work was taking you away from your classes. All she said was a good friend needed her help and she was hopping the next plane here. I understandably panicked and decided to tag along."

Shari laughed at this and took Nanoha's arm to lead her to their dining table. "Oh, I don't blame you for an instant. Fate-sensei has a way of distracting a person. As to why I had to call her it's a rather delicate situation, you see I work as a civilian contractor with the French Police as an art authenticator. I will be spending the next two weeks investigating a warehouse full of artwork. I will be going in trying to determine, if A the art is _real,_ B if so is it stolen, and C if not real is it of a quality that it might be passed off as an original. I will have to document my findings and possibly have some of the stuff sent to the university for chemical tests. Oh Fate-sensei, if I need tests done can I count on you? My last intern just graduated and I need someone trustworthy, ohh maybe you shouldn't, if your name is on anything they'll try to call you for your expert testimony. I know how much you hate all this law enforcement mumbo-jumbo so I'll just get Alto to do it. The girl needs the experience. Besides it'll look great on her CV, that and I still haven't finished writing her Letter of Recommendation so I still got her by the short and curlies heehee."

The woman spoke incessantly and her grip was tight. Fate at first didn't seem to realize what was going on but by the time she was asking about chemical testing Fate was trying to pry the woman off Nanoha. She suddenly let go of Nanoha and took a hold of Fate's blouse, fingering the buttons before releasing them with a broad gesture when she remember Fate's aversion to law enforcement and that she had a minion just waiting in the wings.

Yes, Fate thought to herself, Shario Finieno hadn't changed one bit since their freshman year in college. Carefully edging herself and Nanoha out of Shari's reach and directing them both to a table where they recognized two more women who were waiting for them. Hearing her name Alto called out to her mentor, "Now what have you signed me up for? I told you I refuse to do nudes again!"

Nanoha blushed and Fate laughingly sighed as she leaned in to hug the girls in greeting. Both gave her and Nanoha warm hugs and began asking them what they had done in the past few hours since they had dropped them off at their hotel. Nanoha was shocked when Fate lied saying, "We just poked around a few touristy places. We probably won't have time to do much until this weekend. Hopefully Nanoha doesn't get too bored with my classes."

Lucino cut in quickly, "OH! Nanoha-sensei if you like we can go shopping while Fate-sensei teaches class. No reason for you to be trapped there with a bunch of underclassmen. There's this great boutique nearby and it has great clothes that I think would look great on you. Please! You have to come!"

Nanoha was actually looking forward to attending Fate's classes and was trying to find a way to politely decline the girl when Shari cut in. "Of course she'll go, Fate-sensei is teaching the same class twice Monday so it's not like she needs to sit through it twice. Just make sure one of you is in class with Fate-sensei at all times, we don't need a repeat of last year."

Both girls made faces at the memory of _last year_ and then played a game of rock/paper/scissors, Alto threw scissors to Lucino's rock and the purple haired woman let out a happy shriek, "Ha you get morning class! Oooho okay Nanoha-sensei in the morning Alto and I will pick you both up and take you to the university. We'll drop off this loser and the wonderful Fate-sensei then we can hit the shops. Yeah! Don't worry I'll have you back in time for lunch then we can watch Fate-sensei's afternoon class, sound like a plan, Yes! Great!"

Nanoha felt like she had just been railroaded, she wanted to protest but it seemed impossible the girl just kept going. When she felt Fate's hand squeeze hers she looked over and Fate's smile seemed to say just relax, so she did. The meal was noisy and mind spinning, the three women talked and made plans and seemed quite happy to arrange Fate and Nanoha's free time with impunity.

Walking out of the restaurant three hours later Nanoha held onto Fate's arm a little tighter than necessary, Shari had made it a point to top up Nanoha's wine glass every time the woman had been distracted. Nanoha couldn't remember the last time she let herself get this intoxicated but she knew she was safe. She was with Fate-chan and her wonderful best friend would protect her. The pair got in a cab and once back at the hotel Fate half walked, half carried Nanoha who was now attached to the blonde like a barnacle. Getting to their room Fate led the tipsy woman to the bed and tried to gently extract herself from her grip.

Pouting the auburn haired woman said, "No! It's bad enough you're letting those _girls_ plan out our every free second but I refused to give up my Fate-chan snuggle time!"

Then she stood up caught the blonde in a tight grip and flung them onto the bed and proceeded to tangle their legs together and bury her face in Fate's cleavage before passing out with a gentle snore. Fate was shocked at the rough handling and even more so by the sheer intimacy of the grip she now found herself trapped in. But it was the snore that killed her, when she told the story of their first night in Paris, even twenty years in the future, the fact that Nanoha had passed out while using her for a body pillow would be nothing but a foot note to that little snore. Fate laughed and Nanoha grumbled in her sleep and snuggled in deeper. Fate knew she should be embarrassed and probably be freaking out but that little snore made Fate think of a little cat purring. Shifting Nanoha so they could both lay more comfortably and pulling on the bed sheets to cover them she tucked Nanoha in tighter against her. She knew they would probably regret failing asleep this way but it really didn't matter at the moment, kissing the top of Nanoha's head she allowed herself to relax and fell into a restful sleep.

~"~"~"~

A full continental breakfast was delivered at seven a.m. waking the drowsy pair. Nanoha had a hangover and felt like something had died in her mouth. Stumbling to the bathroom she showered and brushed her teeth and tongue trying to remove the horrible aftertaste that seemed to linger in her mouth. Fate laughed at her and handed her a bottle of Listerine, "That will help, but it will burn."

Nanoha eyed the bottle and took a swig of the pale yellow fluid and nearly died from the burning fluid. Coughing she spit it out and moaned, "Why was that so horrible? I've used the mint flavored one before and it wasn't that bad."

Fate's amusement was clear in her humming laugh, "This is the real stuff, it has more alcohol in it. That mint stuff is more diluted; it's for pussies as Cia-chan likes to say."

"I am beginning to think that's exactly what I am, Gawd I can't hold my drink for anything. How much did I drink anyway?"

She led Nanoha to the small breakfast nook on the terrace and settled her down in front of her full plate before answering, "I'd roughly estimate you consumed between eight and ten glasses of wine. I am surprised you were able to stand, I should have warned you but I had hoped Shari-sensei had matured since our college days. She likes to haze people by getting them intoxicated just see how they behave. She'll likely try this on you every time we see her. I hope that won't be too often."

Nanoha poked her liquidy scrambled eggs and was less than impressed with the limp piece of bacon on her plate. "They can't be serious about this being breakfast? It's so greasy and this has to be undercooked."

Fate smiled at the childish way Nanoha poked at her food and said, "Eat what you can and we'll pick up something on the way to the university a bit more appetizing. This food was made for the American tourists who would die if forced to eat something _foreign_.

Nanoha looked at her friend questioningly, "You talk about Americans like they're backwards savages, they aren't that bad. I loved living in New York even if a lot of people were grouches; it was a very diverse place."

Sitting down in front of Nanoha and picking at a grape from the fruit salad she replied, "Hmm, I find most Americans rather annoying, they act like the world revolves around them and assume just because I am blonde I understand half the things they say in all those funny accents they have. Fufu, you know I think it's my lack of _feeling_ for America that's the reason Arisa-san hates me so much. She is such an American, so brash and opinionated. But like most Americans at her core a very good person who just wants things to be alright. Well her version of alright at least."

Nanoha laughed at this and flicked a piece of soggy scrambled egg at her friend, "You're awful. Arisa-chan is a very sweet person."

Fate raised an eyebrow and said dryly, "I have no plan on licking her to check that assertion."

Nanoha froze at the remark, picturing it, then burst out laughing, "Horrible, horrible! I'll have to tell Suzuka, she'll love it. Lick her nyahaha, you better not ever try. Aside from Arisa freaking out and smacking you, Suzuka is even more territorial than I am. She'd kill anyone who'd dare to make a pass on her blonde."

Fate continued in teasing in her dry tone, "Then she'd dispose of the body and make it look like some kind of socialite tea party entertainment. I wonder if there are special shoes one should wear?"

Nanoha laughed harder before moaning pitifully. Rolling her eyes at the look of concern Fate gave her, groaning she pressed her head to the cool surface of the table, "You know you're going to kill me like this. My head is killing me and you're making me laugh like an idiot."

"Um, well I had taken your mind off the pain for a short time; I guess I went too far with my joking. I'll get you some Excedrin, in the meantime drink your juice, most hotels can't ruin it."

Nanoha looked confused at that but poured herself a glass as Fate disappeared back into the hotel room. Taking a drink she nearly gagged, it was watered down and tasted fake. How on earth did they manage that? Fate came back and saw Nanoha's incredulous look, she didn't seem to believe her juice could really be that horrible, it was the right color and smelled like juice but it clearly wasn't. Fate laughed her I-pity-you, you-poor-unfortunate-soul laugh (Yes it was dark and evil sounding like Ursula from The Little Mermaid) which was reserved for special occasions. She placed the pills in front of Nanoha then petting her on the head she poured out a tall glass of water, "Bere mia cara, bere."

Nanoha picked up the pills and looked at the blonde skeptically, "Considering that laugh I am not sure I want to take anything creepy blondes are handing out, no matter how sweetly they speak to me, what was that you said anyway?"

Fate leaned over to give her a teasing warm look and said, "Drink my darling, drink."

Suddenly Fate realized what she had just done and she pulled back blushing at her own presumption, this wasn't her sister or Einhart where she could tease like this, "Um sorry, it's very easy to call people by pet names in Italian, ah um sorry, um well hurry up and take your pills so we can get out of here and get something proper to eat."

She fled the terrace and fumbling with her things she tried to settle her befuddled mind, why the hell was she acting like this? She only acted in that quasi-flirty manner with Einhart because it made the girl blush scarlet and it was often the only way to get the girl to back down from some stubborn idea. It was never serious; it was a rather disturbing thing to do if one really thought about it. Einhart's mother had been her mother's identical twin. Genetically speaking Einhart was practically her half sister. Even if the horrible gossips in the office might think otherwise, she had no interest in pursuing a relationship with either of her sisters. But this had been Nanoha and that teasing tone had felt natural, oh god what in the world was happening to her?

Nanoha was still processing the fact that Fate had actually flirted with her. Well, it had looked like flirting and had sounded like flirting but unlike with the proverbial duck she feared that had been about as real as her orange juice. Knowing her friend was probably freaking out she decided to take her pills and then try to calm her down.

Fate was fighting with a thick text book, trying to get it to fit in her brief case, it was a hopeless cause but it was clear Fate wasn't really paying attention to what she was doing. Placing a hand on Fate's arm she stopped her from trying to jam the helpless book into a too small space and with the other took it out of her hand and placed it on the desk. Pulling Fate slightly to turn and look at her she smiled a little at the panicked look. It wasn't her full flight freaked out look but the one much lower on her freak out scale. That she wasn't pulling away was also good, that meant she was thinking about what she did and was working out its implications.

"Fate-chan, are you okay? You know flirting isn't something terrible or offensive. I was actually really pleased by you calling me darling. It's nice to have a pet name, at least when it's from someone you care about. I've always been given horrible nicknames; really I mean the White Devil isn't something I'd want to be called in public."

Fate looked at her friend and felt that warm feeling again she got from Nanoha and it finally began to sink in, she not only wanted Nanoha, she wanted Nanoha to want her. She wanted Nanoha to accept everything she had to give and to appreciate her affection. She wanted this beautiful woman to truly be _her_ darling. Smiling at the wonderful woman standing by her side she said, "I'm okay; I guess you really are my best friend. I've never been comfortable enough with anyone else to speak to them like that."

Nanoha's smile at that widened, she liked anything that meant she was special to Fate, even if the word 'friend' was still being applied, eventually she'd get the word changed to 'lover' but in the meantime she'd take what she could get.

There was a knock at the door and knowing it was now time to leave she said, "Io ti amo, il mia piccola Diavolo Bianca. Ora Vieni, o faremo tardi." [ _I love you, my little White Devil. Come now, or we'll be late.]_

Nanoha frowned at that, and shook Fate's arm, "That's not nice Fate-chan! I know blanca means white and diavolo obviously means devil. Don't call me White Devil in Italian! Uhmphf! You're so mean, I thought you were going to be sweet to me and flirt."

Fate was smiling teasingly but her eyes suddenly became serious as she hooked their arms together and picked up her bag and book in the other. Wistfully she said, "Sto flirtando con voi il mia piccola Bianca Diavolo. Temo che hai rubato il mia cuore e io non so cosa fare. Volere amarmi o odiarmi? Cosa farai una volta mi dico la verità?" _[I'm flirting with you my little White Devil. I fear that you stole my heart and I do not know what to do. Will you love me or hate me? What will you do once I tell the truth?]_

Sapphire eyes slitted in suspicion, "What are you saying Fate-chan, I don't understand and it's not funny to tease me when I have a hangover!"

Opening the hotel room door and pulling her along behind the happy faced Alto down the hall Fate finally relented enough to say, "Mia cara, my darling, diamo un grande giorno insieme, let's have a great day together."

Nanoha smiled at that, "That's better. I don't want to hear you calling me Bianca Diavolo again. Even if it does sound a little pretty it's still mean."

Hugging her tightly with one arm around her waist she said, "Qualunque cosa tu dica, whatever you say, mia tesoro, my treasure."

Nanoha rolled her eyes, "Okay now it's just sounds weird. We can work on teaching me Italian later. For now the only words I want to hear addressing me is Mia cara and Mia tesoro."

Fate nodded her head and thought, 'Come si desidera, mia amore.' [ _As you wish, my love.]_

~"~"~"~

A/N2: Thank you for reading and your continued support. Please continue to Favorite, Follow and Review, I love all the attention.

Truly folks, I am needy like a stray puppy jumping up and down, begging for someone to take me home and love me forever. Okay you have that oh so cute mental picture with the floppy ears and wagging tail? Good, now feed the puppy a review, it's cheaper than a milk bone!


	7. Chapter 7: We Don't Need No Education

A/N: Damn this is a long chapter; it covers the first five days of their working vacation. I don't know if the second week will be written out like this or if I'll be flash forwarding. We'll have to see how it goes in the writing.

Yes, I know everything snowballed on them towards the end and I wanted it that way to get Fate as unsettled as possible. There's an old saying that bad things come in threes so…

Loving all the reviews, please keep them coming. I was laughing at some and got weird looks from my family. Please help me continue to prove my insanity to my friends and family by reviewing.

{ _Italized_ } is either badly spoken English or French translation, apologizes to all French readers, consider this my J.K. Rowling moment of making fun of your accents in a culturally insensitive way. But take heart I did poke fun at Americans again, always good for a laugh!

[ _Italized_ ] is translated Italian, Thank you CrazyLikeArt for the help! I stuck to the cheesy version, remember Fate will have picked up (unconsciously) most of her romantic gestures from her sister and I can't think of a worst role model. Cheesy lines and grand over the top gestures to woo the girl are all staples of Alicia's flirting to get laid strategy. But Fate really is serious when she says this stuff which makes it sad/funny/and oh so sweet.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha Universe or Characters. I make no profits from this.

~"~"~"~

Chapter Seven: We Don't Need No Education

First Day of Classes

Fate watched as the vehicle pulled away, it was carrying away Nanoha for a morning of what she suspected was going to be the shopping equivalent of water boarding. She'd think, 'Better Nanoha than me,' but really her best friend didn't deserve the treatment she was about to receive being Lucino's dress-up doll. She was just an innocent bystander who got caught up in the tide but there was nothing she could do to rescue her so she tried to get the image of Nanoha's pleading eyes out of her mind. Allowing Alto to hook her arm they began walking to the lecture hall, as she walked she tried to further settle her mind and spirit. Entering the large echoing room she smiled at the few early arrivers. Putting down her briefcase and unlatching the case she began fishing out her materials.

Arranging her notes she had to smile as she saw a reference to a piece that always reminded her of Nanoha. Like the painting which was subtle and sometimes underappreciated she had known for a while Nanoha was special. Almost from the first day Nanoha had affected her with her gentle and understanding nature. With that breathtaking smile she had entranced her then slowly moved in closer with her habit-forming hugs which made her feel warm and safe and strangely wanted. People had _wanted_ her for various reasons over the years but Nanoha made her feel wanted just for herself, like the two of the could just sit snuggled together for eternity and _that alone_ would somehow make Nanoha happy.

Setting up the lectern and the computer so she could display the slide show that she used as prompts for her lecture her mind was still working through the mystery that was Nanoha. How was it she got past nearly every barrier she had ever erected like a hot knife through butter and not only left them in tatters but had made their destruction nearly painless? How had she turned what had been her near total rejection of social events into her needing to go just so they could be _together_?

She had never wanted anyone in her personal space and now she felt lonely and bereft if the woman wasn't right by her side. The warmth of her body pressing into her these past two nights had made her feel so alive. Worse she was fast becoming addicted to Nanoha's skin, holding hands was likely to be a gateway drug and soon she'd be needing larger and harder hits. She should have known better but Nanoha never let her second guess anything, everything between them felt so good so why question it?

She had hated social events and even now the idea of a party was unsettling but she was volunteering to attend now just so she could see the auburn haired woman smile. To see her in those elegant dresses that put her captivating figure on best display. The fleeting hugs she had enjoyed while Nanoha was dressed so beautifully had been the source of some of that edginess only Nanoha could bring about. She wanted to curse and praise every event, why couldn't she have Nanoha all to herself while she was dressed like that?

The frown on the blonde's face made Alto giggle, it was clear Fate-sensei was thinking of something important and had just hit a roadblock. The mumbled words, "so gorgeous in those dresses" and "stupid crowds," gave the eavesdropper a good idea of what was upsetting the blonde.

The brown haired young woman watched the muttering blonde thinking about more ways to set up the oblivious blonde. The fact she was muttering and almost pouting at the lost of her friend this morning showed they were going about things the right way. After all you can't miss/want something that's always right beside you. Familiarity breeds complacency. The young aide sat back and half listened to Fate's introduction before letting her mind trail back to thinking about what the woman had been grumbling about earlier. 'Dresses and crowds…hmm there is that party Friday night. But that's so far away and that idiot is hosting it. No, I need something more immediate.'

When the blonde actually spoke of Nanoha in her lecture Alto knew the woman had it bad. Fate had never spoken about her personal life before to her students and the metaphor distinguished Nanoha as her vital partner whom she depended upon just like the two artists she was currently highlighting. If Nanoha had become a true partner for her art then the woman was fully seeded into Fate's life. Why were they being so stubborn? From what she'd seen so far they were acting like elementary school students with their first crush combined with the explosive levels of hormonal lust normal for high school students bubbling just under the surface. Interesting for the first five minutes until you realized neither was going to make a move and actually make _watching_ them worthwhile.

The morning class dragged on while Alto sent text messages back and forth with her partner in crime discussing what was happening with Nanoha and making further plans. Finally the three hour class was dismissed, Alto was so glad she'd be skipping out of the afternoon lecture that would be her nap time after their tasty lunch. After Fate dismissed the class a number of students came up to introduce themselves and in general flirt with the attractive blonde guest professor. It was when one of the young men decided to move into her well defined bubble of personal space that a voice in almost too chirpy tones broke in, "Fate-chan, Are you ready for lunch?"

Fate's head spun around and the smile that broke across her face was so beautiful it made people sigh. The man seeing the smile realized the futility of his efforts and backed off to melt into obscurity forever. Both Lucino and Alto saw the way the pair looked at each other after being parted for a mere four hours and wondered how they would react if forced apart for longer periods. After Nanoha and Fate exchanged a quick hug and reassured each other that each was okay but had missed the other the foursome was able to leave the hall for lunch.

The coeds walking behind watched as Fate and Nanoha walked comfortably ahead of them _holding_ hands. Fate didn't do that with anyone, not even her sister! Who were these people lying too? It was obvious they were a couple. As they ate both Fate and Nanoha touched the other in an unconscious matter as if they both needed to confirm the other was still there. Alto and Lucino exchanged a silent look that said, 'This much density and obliviousness has to be a crime.'

Fate was finishing her espresso and was smiling at the younger women's teasing of each other when Lucino said, "Oh Fate-sensei ma mère wants to see you about a mural. She wants it done before Christmas, we are hosting the family reunion this year and she wants to make the house look as beautiful as possible."

Fate nodded and asked, "How is your mother doing? Has her health improved?"

Lucino frowned and sighed, "She is as well as she's ever been, she can't be too sick if she can still complaining about my _scruffy_ looking fiancé. I swear ma mère keeps going on about standards, humph I barely meet her standards most days."

Fate's soft wine colored eyes took in Alto at these words; the girl was looking at the crowd with a distant look. Perhaps she was being cruel but she had to ask, "Alto, how well are you getting on with Liilie-sama these days? If I remember correctly she was talking about adopting you at one point?"

The girl laughed a little hollowly then gave her friend who was pouting a smirk, "She's great to me. Everything you'd want in a mutter, ahem mother. She has been a _bit_ stubborn over Lowran-san but she'll get over it, she just wants the best for her daughter."

"I wonder what ma mère considers better than a professional pilot? Hmm? Any guesses Alto-chan?" the Lucino asked indignantly.

Alto made a sing-song humming noise in her throat that sounded like, "I'm not getting into this," before grabbing her phone and suddenly declaring, "I've got a message, I need to make an important call be right back."

Lucino glared at her friend's retreating back and huffed, "Sacrément têtu!" { _Damn stubborn!_ }

Fate wasn't sure she wanted to open that can of worms further so turned the conversation back to the mural.

The purple haired young woman shrugged the topic off, sat for a minute staring at her friend's back before she suddenly got up and excused herself. Fate watched her make her way through the crowd then how the determined looking girl was suddenly grabbing her friend and pulling her out of sight.

Leaning back she signed, "Well that serves them right for messing with us all day."

Nanoha looked at her friend questioningly and Fate smirked, "They're in love but Alto is too stubborn to admit it and refuses to accept Lucino's quite opening feelings for her. Apparently she doesn't think she has enough to offer. Which is untrue, she maybe an orphan but her family's estate is quite large so monetarily she could provide for her umm bride and then there are of course her abilities. Shario has been petitioning the local district council for the increased funding and finally secured a permanent, well-paying, position for an art authenticator for their district. She pointed out some other districts already have one so it's nothing new or special. Shario is recommending Alto for the position; the girl has a wonderful eye and can spot a counterfeit better than Shario at this point. This will be no charity-case, believe me when I tell you they'll work her hard for every Euro. Sigh but even that's not likely to move her into confessing."

"Why not? That sounds like a pretty impressive and important job, anyone could be proud of having a spouse doing that as their line of work."

"Perhaps because Lucino's family is descendant from royalty and is still very wealthy. Lucino has been getting offers of marriage since the day she was born. Alicia explained it all to me, she said it was like watching one of those daytime soap operas but in this case she could "screw" with the heads of the main characters."

Nanoha frowned at this, "That does sound like something your sister would do. But you said something about them messing with us, how so?"

Fate's brow furrowed at the obvious question, "They took you away from me."

Sapphire eyes widened at this then immediately looked down at the table before flicking back and forth to look at it and Fate's face. Her nervous hands picked at the tablecloth but she couldn't help inquiring with a twitching smile, "It wasn't all that bad, or was it?"

God how cute could this woman be?! Fate felt the fluttering in her stomach start and in a shaky voice said, "I'm use to you being by my side, I like knowing you're there, to be able to turn my head and see you there. It makes some things easier…and uh um... and well some a bit harder too but in a good way."

As Fate's mouth ran away with her again she flushed red and began fiddling with her coffee cup. Nanoha hearing the clinking noise looked straight at the now blushing blonde, unable to restrain herself she asked, "What? How can I make anything harder for you?"

Fate knew if Alicia had been there she'd be living with the teasing for the next century about how _hard_ Nanoha made things. Swallowing her embarrassment she said, "Honestly, you can make it harder to concentrate but at the same time if you're not there my mind wanders off wondering; 'where you are, what you're doing, if you're okay.' So it's damned if I do and damned if I don't, if given I choice I'd rather have you with me."

At these words Nanoha felt like jumping up and squeezing the life out of Fate with a hug, no one had ever said anything like this to her before. Admittedly her mind had fallen into the gutter at first and if Fate had been born a man Nanoha would have had a fair idea of how she could have effected her. But Fate was gloriously _All_ _Woman_ so it was anyone's guess what she made harder for the woman. The admission that her presence, whether she was there or not, was capable of distracting Fate, the ultimate hard-worker, was a huge ego boost.

The coed pair returned looking a bit peeved at each other but in fair spirits and declared it was time to return to the university. Fate looked at her watch and saw they still had nearly an hour before class but decided they could use the time to take a tour of the campus grounds. ~T~ University was prestigious and had a long history in teaching future professional artists. They had just passed what was the school's ballroom where it held its annual Christmas and New Year's Galas along with other fashionable events which Nanoha took in with a healthy amount of appreciation. Fate was silent as they passed a photo gallery but the others slowed to look at the photos of past famous guests. Lucino was sure to point out Fate and Alicia making Nanoha sigh as she said she was rather jealous that Alicia had been with Fate that night but it had been before they had even met.

When Alto suggested that the pair return for the annual event Fate didn't immediately try to squirm out of it. Instead she tried to catch Nanoha's eye to get her reaction to the idea but the woman was resolutely avoiding her eyes so Fate fell back to seriously contemplating the idea on her own. A few silent moments later she said, "It would depend on our schedules but I wouldn't mind coming with Nanoha."

This reply made Nanoha smile brightly at her and hug her around the middle briefly before pulling away but their hands found each other again and hung onto each other. That sealed it for Alto, Fate was never so accommodating, the woman was obviously _so in love_ she had stopped clinging to her obsessive unsociable behavior, trading it for the more enjoyable behavior of clinging onto Nanoha. So even if Alto herself had planned to avoid the whole thing Friday night they were going just so she could dress up Fate and her pretty fairy-tale princess. Someone ought to enjoy a fairy-tale ending, she sure wasn't but it was clear this pair _wouldn't mind_ accompanying each other. Smiling innocently she "invited" the older pair to the formal dress party.

Fate was so sure the coeds had _something_ planned for them after her last lecture but instead Lucino, alone, drove them back to the hotel and with a weak smile begged off being their tour guide for the evening. Her elders graciously released her from her duties and went up to relax before going out to a few select places Fate wanted to share only with Nanoha.

The purple haired girl drove home and had just lain down on her couch to contemplate her next moves, in relation to helping both NanoFate (their official couple name) and herself when she received a text message. Reading through it she couldn't help smiling, this was a positive development for everyone. She'd have to make a lot of arrangements over the next few days but this was doable. Maybe if she worked at this correctly by the end of this whole thing both she and Fate could have their princesses.

~"~"~"~

Day Two of Classes

The next day Fate had two lectures in the morning then one later in the afternoon. It was the longest day of the week with the first lecture starting at 7 a.m. and the second started at 11 a.m. giving her time for only a quick snack to tide her over until a proper lunch later in the afternoon. Nanoha watched her as she gave her all through both classes, not understanding most of the lectures as they were in French but she had Fate's translated notes in English so she could follow along. Fate really was amazing it was no wonder the young people were quickly falling for her.

At just after 2 p.m. when the final student fled the room she collapsed in her chair and was happy to tear into the take-away boxes of curry. The group ate hungrily as the others had refrained from eating until Fate could join them. Nanoha liked watching Fate eat, she wasn't a dainty eater, nor was she voracious eater, instead she was careful and seemed to appreciate each bite. There was something about the way her tongue and lips moved and quick flash of pearly teeth that made Nanoha wish she was on the menu.

Snapping Nanoha out of her Fate watching Alto mentioned the last class for the day started at 4 p.m. and would be a repeat of the 7 a.m. course, so there could be no guilt if they stepped out for a few minutes, right? Nanoha agreed if the girls wanted to go out for a quick errand there'd be no harm.

Smiling like a fox Lucino turned to Nanoha, "Oh Nanoha-sensei what would you say to a…"and those oh so innocent sounding words were the start of Nanoha's descent into hell.

She never did get to back to the university that afternoon as she was too busy being plucked, exfoliated and fluffed by an army of beauty-technicians. After changing into outfits purchased from the spa's boutique Lucino and Nanoha left the day spa via taxi and arrived an upscale restaurant where an older and frailer looking version of Lucino awaited them with Fate and Alto. The older woman eyed Nanoha closely before giving the customary two kisses to the cheeks greeting and an elegant greeting in a deeply accented voice. Nanoha was amused by the older woman's attention to Fate, she treated her like a porcelain doll, constantly smoothing her hair and adjusting her clothing to lay more neatly. Fate twitched a little at the attention but didn't try to escape or stop the older woman.

This dinner had been a lot more formal in tone than the other one they had enjoyed in company so far due to the older woman's presence and for that Nanoha was grateful; she'd received almost no teasing. The older woman had been watching the pair like a hawk and was waiting for her chance to pull the rug out from under the oblivious pair. Nanoha and Fate (holding hands under the table) were now both taking a drink of their wine when Liilie-sama spoke. "Sou vhen vill oou tu bee marreed?" { _So when will you two be married?}_

Fate choked on her wine, she sputtering into her napkin as she coughed up a lung full of wine. Nanoha hadn't fully understood the question at first but Fate's reaction was enough to freak her out. Leaning into the blonde she rubbed the woman's back as she tried to calm her down and play off her own racing heartbeat and red face. Finally getting a clear breath of air Fate shocked asked her in French, or maybe it was Italian, where on earth had she gotten such an idea. The woman responded in her broken English, "Eet iz kaleer oou arr lavours. Sou am iee ennvydeed?" { _It is clear you are lovers. So am I invited?}_

Fate looked to Nanoha for some clue on how to answer and Nanoha couldn't for the life of her decide how to respond. To fully deny anything romantic was developing between her and Fate would devastate her soul. But what if she overstated their position and Fate rejected her?

Seeing Nanoha was just as confused as she was and not even wanting the young women at the table's suggestion of help she said the first thing that came to mind.

"Um Nanoha and I haven't developed a relationship like that."

The older woman raised an eyebrow and her head tilted at Nanoha's hand still resting on Fate's back. Fate could feel the warmth of Nanoha's hand and rational thought told her to withdraw from that hand and give a proper denial of romance…but she couldn't.

Helplessly she stuttered out, "Ah…ha…well at this time we aren't in the kind of relationship where we...we would be ready to discuss ma...ma...matrimony. But…but if we ever find ourselves there you will be among the first to be invited."

The old woman snorted and said something in rapid French which turned the blonde a fiery red color and left her gaping. Lucino leaned over to Nanoha and interpreted for her mother.

"Ma mère said ahem, 'Considering the way you two have been comporting yourselves she will be expecting the invitation by the end of the year. She would hate to think of the two of you living in sin together or worse having bébés ahem babies out of wedlock.'"

Nanoha wasn't sure if she wanted to run around screaming like a mad woman or just crawl under the table and die of embarrassment when she thought of how this older woman's words echoed her former mother-in-law's sentiments. Yet the prospect of being railroaded into marrying this blonde didn't seem like a penance but a miraculous blessing.

Fate looked at Nanoha's face and the last words spoken hit her again hard in the solar plexus. In a pained voice she replied to this, "Liilie-sama, Nanoha is a very honorable woman. I would never disrespect her by behaving in such a manner against her. She deserves only the best."

The old woman smiled and said, "Bon, obtenir d'elle puis." { _Good, then get to it._ }

Fate shrunk a bit into herself at this but glancing at Nanoha's beautiful worried she couldn't help twitching a smile and nodding.

~"~"~"~

Day Three of Classes

Day three was to be a light day with one lecture and a lab. They'd be done by noon then be free to do as they liked. The night before Nanoha had expressed concern the girls would have them running around like mad. Fate had just shrugged and said as long as Nanoha was with her it'd be fun. The auburn haired woman blushed and had called her silly before snuggling into her for the night. Fate had awoken with an armful of Nanoha yet again and knew the warmth and contentment she was feeling was dangerously habit-forming. Would it be possible to perhaps reserve the place beside Nanoha in bed for the next sixty-odd years?

Looking at the woman across from her as they ate a light breakfast in a café near the university Fate knew it wasn't just her bed she wanted to share, it was her life. They hadn't talked about what Lucino's mother had said to them the night before, it was too loaded a topic but the ideas were now free floating in her mind. Marriage, living together, lovers, children; all foreign ideas she had always shied away from, but suddenly they weren't so frightening or repellent.

From head to toe Nanoha was beautiful and not just skin deep, her heart a priceless treasure, her soul pure and bright and her mind quick and lively. What would her children look like? How much of her beautiful lively spirit would they inherit? Would they share her laugh? Vivio laughed like her so perhaps it could be passed on along with her mother's milk? What a thing it would be to hold a child with those beautiful eyes that would gleam with love and trust just like their mama's. Fate felt a little light headed at these thoughts and brought a hand to her forehead to try and settle the suddenly spinning world.

Worriedly Nanoha reached across the table and touched her cheek to check for fever and asked, "Fate-chan are you alright? You're looking peaky. Do we need to go back to the Hotel?"

Smiling at the gentle touch and tone Fate felt the spinning slow and stop. What kind of disease is its own cure?

Looking up with warm wine eyes she smiled, "I am okay. It's a short day today so maybe this afternoon, if it's alright with you, we could take a nap before deciding if we're going out."

Nanoha nodded and made it her mission to get Fate in and out of the girls' clutches and back to bed as quickly as possible. During the lab Nanoha found herself sucked into helping with techniques and checking work, they had just called for a halt and for the students to wash up when an a overeager student upset some paint onto Nanoha, staining the front and arm of her blouse. It wasn't too bad but the flustered girl was suddenly choking back tears and fleeing the room. Fate made a note of who this student was so she could check on her the next day.

Nanoha was now standing in just her silk cami and skirt at the sink and Fate was entranced. The soft pinkness that flushed Nanoha's skin brought to mind fresh apple blossoms and it made Fate's fingers twitch, she wanted so badly to touch her. Nanoha seeing her friend looking so dazed and not quite sure why but still worried about her health she came over without even worrying about her lack of blouse. Reaching out she touched Fate's forehead and cheek with cool hands. Fate shivered and without thinking she reached out to balance herself with a hand on Nanoha's waist. One hand rested on the warm, thinly veiled waist which sent a thrill through her as her other hand landed on Nanoha's bare upper arm. The soft smooth skin was addictive, with a mind of its own her hand began to skim up and down the length of Nanoha's arm.

The feeling of Fate touching her so gently was sending Nanoha into a tactile simulation overload. Leaning into the offending blonde wasn't the wisest thing to do but it was the only thing she could do. Pressing her forehead to Fate's shoulder as one of her hands remained on Fate's cheek and the other now weak from over stimulation dropped to rest on Fate's waist. They stood pressed together lightly as Fate stroked her arm and took the opportunity to breathe in Nanoha's sweet scent. Lucino and Alto coming back with a clean shirt for Nanoha found the pair and almost felt guilty for having to break them apart.

With a quick glance between them they agreed to leave the love birds alone for the evening. With great care they broke the soon-to-be lovers apart. Blushing and quiet all the way back to the hotel both the elder artists were happy when the coeds declared they had sudden plans and had to leave them to their own devices. The pair scampered up to their room where they changed into their nightwear and proceeded to cuddle into comfortable doze. Around dinner time they ordered something relatively safe from room service and cuddled some more as they watched TV. Fate knew this behavior wasn't what friends did, but Nanoha wasn't just her friend, she was fast becoming the center of her universe.

Day Four of classes

Day four was much like Day one with one class in the morning and another in the mid afternoon. It should have been easy but ten minutes into Fate's first lecture the upper level door swung open and a brown haired woman entered the room. The woman carried nothing, no paper or pen, no audio-recorder, but smirking at the distraction she caused sat _discreetly_ at the back her legs genteelly crossed. Fate visibly hesitated and paled at the sight of the woman, her eyes sought out Nanoha and her worried loving eyes calmed some of her panic. Taking a deep breath Fate steeled her nerves and thought, 'Just get through the class, maybe she'll leave before there's an issue.'

Nanoha's eyes took in the stranger, she was rather petite but had a healthy sized bust which made Nanoha shift in her seat worriedly. Her light brown hair was almost blonde and her eyes appeared to be a startling goldish color. She wore fashionable eyeglasses and her outfit was obviously was of the highest quality but (in Nanoha's opinion) tacky looking with a fur lining around her collar and its unusual purple color. It didn't surprised Nanoha that beautiful women would slip into Fate's classes just to ogle the blonde but to do so, so blatantly, was shocking. The fact that the woman's presence was unnerving Fate was also making Nanoha nervous, who was this woman?!

Alto had to put a hand on Lucino when they saw the brown haired woman enter the room, both would have loved to have thrown her out but she was on the faculty so it was her _right_ to sit in. Ever since this woman came to the university at the start of the spring term she'd been making trouble. Both girls would be happy to graduate that winter and get as far as possible from _her_. Shario had pointed out _who_ the woman was and what she'd done in the past. Even if they hadn't received the warning her subsequent behavior on campus made it clear she was not a person to trust, she may look all cute and loving but she was a barracuda at heart.

The frightening thing to the girls was two of the woman's students who she had been _mentoring_ had dropped out and then a few weeks later she unveiled a collection of work that was received with huge acclaim. They had seen some of those pieces being worked on, by the missing students. Were they really drop outs or had something more insidious happened to them? Considering how cold her smile could be and how fake most were coming to know she is, they'd put nothing beneath her.

The class ended and the woman waited until the last student left before breaking out into applauds. In a sing-song voice she called out, "Well done Fate-chan! You've come so far since our old school days."

Then standing she walked down the stairs like a supermodel down the catwalk, working her hips in a sexually enticing manner heading straight for the lectern where Fate stood frozen like a deer in headlights. Nanoha rose from her seat at ground level at the very end of the aisle and made a beeline straight for _her_ blonde when the strange woman saw this she frowned.

In a less cheery voice she came to a stop at the base of the stairs and said, "I see you are still trying to fool the masses Fate-chan. Did this poor woman fall for the poor abused orphan story too? Did it make her all weepy and feel sorry for you? How fast did you get her out of her pants after that? Have you made her your little slut or are you and Shario sharing the little growling twits over there? Perhaps you'll finally get that harem you've always wanted? Did you tell her about how broken and confused you felt when Chrono-kun fucked you and left you? How it made you wish you had a giant cock to dominate all your cute little students? Or did you really open up and tell her all about how mummy use to punished you and how you now need pain to get off? Is that why you have three little puppets, just in case you break one when you make them beg? Tell me girls has she tied you up and marked you just like mummy?"

Nanoha stopped at the words and felt sick, this woman was disgusting. The filth she was spouting was stomach turning. Who would believe it? But then she saw Fate start shrinking into herself and knew it would take more than words to prove her support. Pasting her blonde she walked on to head off the foul creature.

Fate felt Nanoha pass her and felt her heart crumble when she walked on, she desperately wanted Nanoha to hold her and tell her she didn't believe these lies. It was only at the sound of flesh being soundly smacked did her head pop up. Nanoha was flexing her left hand which appeared red but not as red as Quattro Numeri's face. Nanoha leaned into the shorter woman's face and hissed, "You are a disgusting liar. If you say one more word about Fate Testarossa I will personally rip out your tongue and stuff it down your foul throat. Now Leave. . ."

Stupidly the woman pushed Nanoha back making her stumble against a desk. Quickly the angry faced woman made her way over to Fate where with her highly manicured hands she grabbed the front of Fate's blouse. Yanking hard she ripped open her button up blouse and shouted "Freak!" The sound of ripping fabric, buttons hitting the ground and scattering and harsh breathing was all that was heard for a moment then a scream sounded. Takamachi Nanoha had caught Quattro by her hair and was dragging her to the door. The woman flailed for a moment before Nanoha caught a better grip that painfully stopped her from doing anything but walking a straight line and screaming. The screaming had campus police sprinting up the hallway. Seeing the two women they halted and the elder asked in French what was going on. Nanoha only had a vague idea of what was being asked so went with the stupid American way of dealing with the situation, brashly striving ahead without fear of consequences or thinking (thank you Arisa).

With a no nonsense tone she said, "Listen officers I have no clue what you're saying or if you understand me. But this bitch just assaulted my best friend, a guest lecturer here. I am just taking out the trash, please excuse us."

Dragging the woman by the hair the rest of the way down the hall, ignoring the pleas from the police, the growing crowd and the outraged screams of her victim, she then kicked open a side door which lead to a courtyard with a pond. With her teeth bared in a disturbing parody of a smile she pulled the woman over to the edge of the water. Where pulling back the woman's head a bit more she whispered in her ear, "I have a pretty good idea of who you are now that I think about it. So I think I'll take this opportunity to cool your head and teach you it's not polite to spread malicious rumors. Oh, and keep your gawd damn hands to yourself before you lose them."

She then twisted the woman around and flung her into the pond. The woman came up out of the water sputtering and screaming for her assailant's arrest. Nanoha looked at the two officers and said, "I'll answer any questions you have but back in the lecture hall, I need to check on my friend."

Both officers understood English and nodded. The younger officer stayed behind to help fish the woman out of the pond while the elder followed Nanoha back to the lecture hall. He gave the auburn haired woman a wide berth, she hadn't struggled with that psycho woman; here was someone you gave respect. Once they returned to the lecture hall they found Fate was seated in a chair with both the coeds hovering over her trying to reassure her Nanoha would be okay and be right back. Fate's body was tense and her muscles jumped as if wanting to sprint off, the only thing actually holding her back from going after Nanoha was her torn blouse. Fate didn't really have body consciousness with either one of the coeds before her as both knew about her scars but she didn't want the rest of the campus to learn about them by putting them on display.

Nanoha was feeling insanely territorial and noticed Fate wasn't hiding her body as assiduously as she thought she'd be. Grabbing a chair she pulled it over to Fate and settled in next to the woman and held her hand throughout the interviews. The officer asked Fate if she was okay and made note of something when she noted her neck but she didn't open her shirt. Soon the officer had statements from all four women. The younger officer joined them halfway through with a giant wet spot on his uniform. He was less than pleased with his interview with Quattro Numeri and wanted to hear the other side of the story. By the end they were all looking at Nanoha with admiration, the officers and coeds alike respected Professor Testarossa and had come to despise the Numeri _woman_.

The elder officer said in his lightly accented English, "Well as much as we can understand your behavior we can't condone violence Madame Scrya-Takamachi. So we will have to issue an Official Warning. One more outburst like this and we will have to ban you from the campus. In the meantime we will be informing the Dean of the results of our investigation. I just hope this latest incident will be enough to end that woman's contract with the university, talk about false advertising. She is a black mark against the proud history and traditions of this school."

Watching the pair of officers leave Alto shook her head and said, "Ha Official Warning that's great. If I'd done it I'd be packing my bags for home. Thank God we actually had someone with some clout to take down that bitch. She's ruined so many good students in her time here already. Expulsion was getting tempting; I really didn't want to have to wait until after graduation to bitch-slap her."

Fate felt Nanoha's right hand tighten on her as her left hand begin to thread through her hair relaxing her. But Fate still tensed up when Nanoha asked, "How long has she worked here? How did she even get hired?"

Alto answered as she paced, "Since this past spring, she snuck in just after Fate-sensei left after the New Year's Gala. The Dean is always wanting to expand our mentoring program, active _professional_ artists teach a single class a week and are assigned two or three students to help develop their methods and style in order to create enough work for a small showcase. They've been trying to get Fate-sensei to join the program for years. Well Numeri interviewed for a position, she's a pretty minor celebrity here, more to do with her parties for artists than her own art. But she made out that she and Fate-sensei had been best friends in college and that she had helped Fate develop her style. Pure B.S.

"As you can imagine the Dean was slobbering all over her by the end of the interview. She had names, places and dates from that period down pat, and this being Fate-sensei he never wondered why she wasn't at any of these parties, her so-called best friend, put on. The contract was signed well before the spring term started. Fate-sensei had stayed to the end of the fall term as Shario-sensei had been delayed by court proceedings from returning to finish the term. After the New Year everyone here decided to enjoy a quiet holiday at home and not return until just before classes started. So no one knew what had happened until the first day of term.

"When Shario-sensei finally found out what was going on she threw a fit. Screamed bloody murder about having to work with _that woman_ , then threatened to quit, to go to the papers, to put on a One Woman Protest, anything to get rid of Quattro. Well it would have been a Three Woman Protest, no way we wanted to deal with the bitch either once we knew who she was. But that damn contract guaranteed her position for three terms. We had hoped to ride out the time by ignoring her…we were doing so well too. I know I've been pretending certain parts of the campus are being remodeled and avoid them accordingly."

Nanoha was getting annoyed, "So you all knew this woman was here all this time and never mentioned it. This could have happened that first day, any day or time this past week. If I'd known that _woman_ was here I'd have never left Fate's side this week. Fate-chan did you know, or did they trick you?"

Fate looked emotionally drained but smiled and said, "I knew that's why I was so happy Nanoha agreed to come with me. I didn't tell you because I didn't want you getting in trouble. I'm sorry; I didn't want to face her alone."

Nanoha leaned in and hugged her quickly and said, "Never, I am here for Fate-chan, always."

Then pulling back to look at the younger women and gave them an arched brow.

Lucino smarted off; she wasn't going to be made to feel guilty over something she had no control over, "Well with that damn government job of hers Shario-sensei found herself between a rock and a hard place. Ask Fate-sensei to cover classes and risk them meeting or let the bitch take her classes and have her do God only knows how much damage to her students. It's the bitch being here that is the main reason Shario-sensei wants one of us with Fate-sensei at all times. Last time Fate-sensei was here someone got in her face and _only_ after getting roughed up a little she…um well… she um snapped and ended up breaking the guy's arm. Fate-sensei has an Official Warning also, so we have to be her buffers; Shario-sensei can't afford to have her banned.

"And as much as I would have loved to see Fate-sensei crushing the bitch but I must say Nanoha-sensei you did superbement!" { _magnificently!_ }

The purple haired woman then stood up from her place on the desk and looked over Fate and tipping her head said, "The cow didn't hurt you did she? Your neck looks a bit red."

Pulling at the torn shirt she then hissed, "Damn that looks like it'll bruise."

She was about to reach out and touch Fate when the blonde pulled her shirt back in place. In a strained voice she said, "Thank you for your concern but at this point I'd like to go back to the hotel. I want a shower and a fresh set of clothes. Not to mention something to eat."

The two coeds blushed at their apparent insensitivity and Alto said, "I'll pull the car around. I'll call Lu-chan when I'm at the curb."

Lucino unsure what to do with herself in the meantime said, "I'll just stand out here and uh guard the door. Just relax for now okay."

Fate nodded her thanks and settled back in her chair. Nanoha's hand still in her own as the woman sat next to her in her own chair. Once the door closed she asked in her strained voice, "Nanoha, can I hold you? I…I"

Fate never needed to explain herself; Nanoha was up in an instant and had crawled onto her lap. Silently she pulled Fate's head to her breast and held her securely as Fate wrapped her arms around Nanoha's waist. Nanoha let her hands rub circles on her back and play with Fate's hair.

In a voice of confusion Nanoha asked what had been bothering her for the past hour, "They know about your scars and that woman's betrayal. I thought you never spoke about such things with your students?"

Fate snuggled into Nanoha for a moment, there wasn't recrimination in her voice but there was hurt, Nanoha had wanted to be special and it appeared she wasn't.

Not knowing why she did it, Fate rubbed the tip of her nose on the soft skin of Nanoha's neck and felt the woman shudder then melt. Nanoha's grip on her tightened as Fate leaned her head on Nanoha's front. She spoke softly for Nanoha's ears only.

"I never told the girls my secrets but thanks to the indiscreet mouth of their mentor, Shario, they found out even before we all met."

Nanoha frowned and shifted a little in Fate's lap, "So you told Shario? When, why?"

Fate sighed, "No, I never told Shario. I didn't have too. Shario and I met right after Quattro betrayed me. I had never even spoken to her up to that point. As the malicious gossip made its rounds Shario heard at least one or two versions and decided to confront me.

It was the end of our freshman year in college and I'd been hiding in a secluded section of the library. Alicia was out doing damage control and plotting Quattro's death, all I wanted was some peace and quiet. I was sitting in one of the window seats when suddenly I was being grabbed from behind and pinned to the wall. I immediately struggled and begged to be let go but she had a good grip and a ton of leverage in the way she held me. I felt her pull my shirt up and at that point I was ready to start screaming, I was freaking out and was about to do us both some real harm when she let me go.

I turned around and was about to slap the hell out of this strange woman when she did something that really freaked me out. She took off her shirt. She had no bra on, nude from the waist up and well my brain froze up. You see when Shario was a child her family's home caught on fire. They tried to protect themselves with blankets to cover their heads as they crawled out of the burning building. A burning beam fell on Shario and trapped her. In the end she received burns to her entire back, right shoulder and about three quarters of her right arm and parts of her right side.

The first time she shared her burns with someone outside her family they called her a freak and said a lot of ugly things about her. Her coming up to me and looking at my scars and showing me hers was her way of showing me I wasn't alone and that I shouldn't be ashamed. I'm not so much ashamed of my scars as I'd rather not talk about them. Talking about them just depresses me because people start to look down on me, like I'm broken. That and it gets tedious explaining over and over again everywhere I go."

Nanoha pressed a small kiss on Fate's head and sighed, "I had wondered how you and Shario became friends in the first place. She doesn't seem like someone Alicia would normally pick up then have you adopt. She had mentioned being burned as a child at dinner but thankfully refrained from striping; I guess that wouldn't have been proper dinner etiquette."

Fate shifted and tried to pull Nanoha closer as she spoke, "No, Shario and Alicia are like oil and water most of the time. Both of them have certain beliefs on how I should be treated to help me come out of my shell. Usually I just let them fight it out and crawl out in the covering fire. Which leaves me with Alto and Lucino who are just as bad but at least don't normally hang all over me."

Speaking of the little devils Lucino popped her head back in the room and seeing the pair snuggled together coughed, "Ahem, ride's here. Let's get you back to the hotel for a rest."

Nanoha pulled herself up and straightened her clothes before giving Fate a hand up and the outer jacket of her dress suit. It was too small for Fate who looked at her questioningly. Nanoha huffed, "Just hold it in front of you. There's no reason to even risk giving anyone a free peek."

Fate laughed and opened the jacket to cover her front, tucking in the jacket around her front and holding it securely in place with her arms she said, "Thank you Nanoha, though I can't image there being many who'd appreciate the view."

Nanoha bit the inside of her mouth to stop herself from replying.

~"~"~"~

Day Five of Classes

Fate had been called in early to the university for a conference with the Dean regarding the events of the previous day so had to leave a dozing Nanoha in _their_ bed. As she looked back and saw the woman sleeping now cuddled with her pillow she felt strangely warm and edgy, she wanted back in the bed but not to sleep. After the official meeting was over she had a small meal with the Dean and chatted about their work. She was again offered a job and it was made clear the offer extended to her partner as well. Both were well qualified for the position so no one could claim Fate had asked for the special favor of her lover being given the privileged position as a bargaining chip for getting her to sign. Fate had choked on her tea when the Dean called Nanoha her lover but did not deny it or try to correct his misperception.

After excusing herself she made her way down to the lecture hall where she had expected Nanoha to be waiting for her, especially after yesterday but no Nanoha could be found. Alto was strangely quiet about the matter as the last few free moments before class quickly sped by. As the class progressed and no Nanoha appeared Fate became progressively more agitated. Where was the woman? Was she okay? Had Quattro done something to her? Had Nanoha finally realized how much trouble Fate really was and decided to go home and begin cutting all ties? Where was _her_ Nanoha?!

When the class was finally over she rushed out of the room and had hardly made it into the courtyard before she had her cell phone out dialing Nanoha's. It went to voice mail immediately and Fate felt a spike of panic hit her. Where was Nanoha?

She was about to run to the main street and call a cab back to the hotel to begin her search when Alto halted her with a quick wiggle of her cell phone. "It's Nanoha she…"

Fate grabbed the phone and said breathlessly, "Are you okay? Where are you?"

Nanoha glared at the purple haired girl in front of her who was giggling, her Fate-chan was worried, this was no laughing matter. In as soothing a tone as she could muster she said, "I'm fine Fate-chan. We had a small accident this morning, no one was hurt and other than some minor damage to Lucino's car everything is okay, well except for my cell phone. I was about to text you when we had the collision and it sort of went flying and is now in a couple different pieces. Now Lucino wants to replace my cell phone so we are going to a shopping center of some kind. It will likely take a while since she'll have to interpret for me so don't worry."

Fate wanted to crawl through the phone and check Nanoha for injuries and hug her. She was becoming too clingy, she knew that and that's what scared her about her relationship with Nanoha. If she lost the woman what would become of her? Shaking a little she took a breath then said, "Okay, I'm glad you are alright. Have fun shopping, don't worry about hurrying back, the Dean told me Quattro has been sacked and is banned from the campus. So no need for you to worry about me. Alto will keep me from getting too lonely, have fun, this is supposed to be a vacation of sorts."

Nanoha felt troubled by Fate's words, "Fate-chan, I'd rather be shopping with you, then I'd know I would have fun. Maybe tomorrow we can go out and check out some places you like?"

Feeling slightly relieved she replied, "Of course, I love spending time with Nanoha."

~"~"~"~

~X~ Hotel lobby, seven p.m.

Nanoha was sure she had been tricked; after all it had only taken fifteen minutes to replace her phone and transfer all the data. After that _since_ they were already there and they did have that party to go to that evening why not take a few minutes and look around. Nanoha had agreed, Fate had said for her to have fun shopping so she let Lucino dragged her from one establishment to the next. One would think there'd be a limit to how many times a person could be plucked, prodded, exfoliated, and primped in one week. Lucino was asserting there were no limits when it was all done in the name of love. The thing that killed that premise though was Fate liked looking at her no matter what she was wearing, with or without her makeup. She had thought she'd die the first time Fate had knocked on her door and caught her without her 'face' on.

Fate had just tipped her head and looked a bit closer at her and said, "You have freckles, they're cute."

Nanoha had about died on the spot. No one had ever called her freckles cute. She had been so sure Fate would have commented on how old she looked or unattractive without her makeup so when she mention needing to put on her makeup before coming over for lunch Fate had told her she was being silly. She looked beautiful just the way she was. Fate had said beautiful, not fine or good enough, but beautiful. She had been ready to marry the woman then and there.

All day she'd been told, "It's all for Fate-sensei or she'll love it if…" then something painful and/or embarrassing was done to her. Damn that Lucino-san, that girl had mention knowing things about Fate and because no one but her should know Fate best she allowed herself to be manhandled by _one_ more so-called professional beautician as the girl gossiped away about some misadventure involving the blonde.

After everything done to her she had to admit she felt great, beautiful and more than a little sexy thanks to the lingerie she had been convinced to first try on then purchase by a French sales person spouting compliments. Normally she wouldn't have been convinced so easily but when the woman had gone on to say her lover would not be able to resist that had nearly ruined the day for her. Tears had glazed her eyes for a moment in her realization that everything she was doing was likely for nothing. Lucino had railroaded her through everything they had done up to that point by teasingly saying it was for Fate. Trying to regain control of the situation Nanoha had begun to try to pull a robe on and retreat to the dressing room as she quietly and with as much dignity as she could muster admitted she didn't have a lover. The sales woman at that had slinked over and readjusted the robe so it framed her lingerie clad body more enticingly before pointing her at the mirror again and had simply said, "Yet." Honestly that sales woman had no soul, Nanoha ended up buying the entire set and more.

She was being stupid, Fate wasn't interested in seeing her underwear, the woman had just barely begun to show interest in her has a physical being. To even hope the blonde would appreciate all the effort she had put in was likely asking too much. Her whole outfit, her hair, makeup, everything had been done with Fate in mind. Lucino had just assumed Nanoha would want to dress to impress the blonde and she wouldn't dare deny it. She wanted Fate's eyes on her and her alone.

While Nanoha had been tortured and emotionally blackmailed all day Fate had found herself being hustled around which she found annoying. She was here on a mini vacation but was already dealing with more stress than she would have faced at home. All she was supposed to be doing was teaching a few classes then she should be getting to enjoy her down time with Nanoha. These girls and all these other people were getting in the way of that and soon she'd have to put her foot down. Even after a night of intense snuggling she needed more Nanoha time to get over the confrontation with Quattro. She needed the reassurance that Nanoha didn't find her repulsive, she needed to feel Nanoha. Biting the inside of her cheek Fate pushed away her needy feelings.

After hanging up with Nanoha Alto had taken Fate to a nearby day spa to help her relax. As Fate tried to eat a quick lunch the beauty techs began poking and prodding her. Frustrated by her meal being so disturbed she was glad to get back to the university where she hoped Nanoha would now be waiting. Instead she was further frustrated by Lucino calling back and saying they were being delayed but not to worry they'd all meet up at seven for the party. Seven! That would mean she'd be without Nanoha for more than twelve hours by that time. Fate was ready to hunt the young woman down and free the prisoner _but_ that would have to wait until after the final class of the day was completed. Alto had pointed out she was still responsible for the class and Nanoha was safe so there was no excuse for her to cancel just because she was lonely for her _best friend_.

After class Alto had then lied to Fate and told her they would be meeting the others at a massage parlor. Alto knew the blonde was losing all patience with her but also knew Fate didn't often get massages what with her body consciousness so when she did she was frequently reduced to jelly afterwards. Knowing this was the only way she'd succeed in getting her way she had Fate squished and molded by a masseur, an hour later Alto was practically pouring Fate into a black silk gown. The sleepy blonde had then been primped and primed while she relaxed in her chair, nearly slipping out of it like ooze when she fell asleep. Alto seeing how vulnerable the blonde was couldn't help laughing as she wrapped the dozing blonde in a hooded cloak. Feeling like Kris Kringle as she properly prepared then carefully loaded her masterpiece into her car, it was a bit early but Nanoha was about to get the best Christmas gift ever.

Lucino had Nanoha distracted as they stood waiting for their partners in the lobby, so it was her who saw them first and made sure to keep Nanoha out of their line of sight. When purple haired girl saw Alto enter into one of the side rooms with a hooded figure she smiled, 'oh this is going to be fun.'

As Alto maneuvered her sleep-walking doll to the reserved state room she gave her partner a small nod then disappeared into the room. After pulling off the cloak, she smooth down blonde hair and the silky dress, after she gave Fate a quick walk around she nodded to herself, perfect. Telling her sleepy puppet to stand right at the entrance, the brown haired girl then left her standing there confused. Sleepily she watched her leave as her brain in a muddle thought, 'Weren't we going to a party? Where's Nanoha?'

After receiving the all clear sign from her partner Lucino then led Nanoha directly to the side room, and perhaps she was being a little mean but before closing the door she gave the woman a little push which almost made her trip on her heels as she stepped into the room.

When the door opened Fate turned to see who had entered and the sight of Nanoha caused every vestige of sleepiness to flee. When she stumbled Fate instantly took a step forward and caught her and it was like every cheesy romance novel ever written had suddenly come true. Every one of her senses was suddenly filled with Nanoha and it was wonderful.

Nanoha walking into the room saw Fate in profile for an instant then her head turned and she was lost in the deep red of her eyes and lips that always seemed to mesmerize her. When she tripped she thought foolishly, 'So much for looking elegant and sophisticated.' Then Fate's arms were around her and she thought stupidly, 'I like being a klutz.'

The feeling of warm silk under her fingers was amazing. The warm living body of the woman she was head over heels in love with was a dark and incredibly sexy mystery in the full length inky black dress. Nanoha was brought to mind of the dresses worn by Morticia Addams. At that moment Fate would have made a fair imitation of the sexy witch if her hair had been dyed black. From their tight embrace Nanoha could breathe in the musky scent of Fate's perfume and felt a small part of herself die in restraining herself from pouncing on the woman then and there and eating her. She looked, smelt, and felt delicious, and seeing as this was Fate, Nanoha was hundred percent certain she'd taste delicious if she could just…ugh!

Fate was taking in Nanoha, her eyes never leaving the enthralling sight. Satin and lace had been used to create a masterpiece in periwinkle blue and white, the dress made Fate think of heaven. The blue brought out Nanoha's eyes and made the woman appear even more angelic than normal. Without really thinking about what she was doing she helped Nanoha settle back on her feet before moving her hand to softly ghost down the shorter woman's face and neck before it came up to cup her chin delicately to tip her face up as she asked, "Stai bene mio dolce angelo?" [ _Are you okay my sweet angel?_ ]

Nanoha had to close her eyes and counted to ten, there was no way any rational person should be expected to accept this much stimulation without snapping.

Swallowing her lust and trying for normality Nanoha said shakily, "Fate-chan you need to translate that for me."

Realizing exactly she had said Fate blushed and pulled away as she translated her words as she stared at her feet, "Are you okay…um my…my sweet angel."

Nanoha's heart was fluttering like mad, Fate looked so cute and those words were killing her.

Fate's eyes darted back to Nanoha, she couldn't stop looking at her, as her eyes took in the full length of Nanoha's form she spoke again, "You really do look like an angel. I don't think I've ever seen anyone or anything more beautiful than you."

 _That's it! Enough my soul can't take anymore, I have to!_ Nanoha had just taken a step forward to close the gap between them with a purposeful glint in her eyes when suddenly the door swung open and Lucino and Alto came in looking perturbed. The reason for their disquiet followed right behind them. There in the doorway was a man with stylishly tousled dark brown hair and rapacious blue eyes who was wearing an obscenely expensive suit. Nanoha instantly recognized the man and felt ill. The man took in the two beautiful women and considered his coming out tonight was suddenly worthwhile. It seemed his cousin's widow was over her mourning period, and she was looking hot! He couldn't remember a time when she looked this good; apparently it was true that the stupid ferret-faced nerd had been holding her back. Then there was the blonde, ouch! Talk about smoldering hot! If the rumors were true the pair was _close_ and he wouldn't mind being the meat in this hot chick sandwich.

In what he thought was an attractive and winsome manner he spread open his arms and said, "Na-nee! So good to see you again! How is my favorite cousin? Looks like you've gotten over ferret-boy pretty quickly, and I have to say no offense to the deceased but you're looking hot tonight, good riddance to the old rodent heh!"

Then he swept her up in a hug where she went rigid as a flag pole to prevent him from pressing his body into her, when he fleetingly cupped her ass and gave it a squeeze she had to clench her teeth to prevent herself from slapping the man. Not minding her less than pleased response he placed a kiss on her cheek, far too close to her mouth then pulled back only to hang and arm on her shoulder and carry on, "Na-nee, introduce me to your friend."

Nanoha felt like she needed a shower, she hated this man so much it hurt to not kill him. He was Noriko's Favorite nephew, yes with the capital F, for Fucker. He was a slime-ball and he was now looking at _her_ Fate-chan like she was a tasty piece of meat. If it had been hard to restrain herself before Nanoha was now finding her self control stretched to limits which should have earned her sainthood. But her patience with this man was hard won and the memory of her painful lost stayed her hand. The last time she had hit the man Noriko had taken Vivio away from her for a month saying a mother needs to be patient and kindhearted, obviously Nanoha was incapable of providing the kind of role model Vivio needed. Nanoha had bent her head and apologized to Vice, the fact that her husband hadn't even tried to protect her had killed any lingering affection she had left for him from their childhood.

Fate was finding it difficult to restrain herself also, no one treated Nanoha like this, she was an honorable and respectable woman with great intelligence and talent, not a fucking piece of meat. From the moment the man had gotten within arm's reach of _her_ Nanoha with those disgusting lust filled eyes and flailing arms she'd been ready gut the man. As the man embraced _her_ Nanoha she began picturing various methods of torture suitable for protracted pain and suffering, how dare he touch _her_ angel! If she had seen the grope nothing on earth would have restrained her from immediately and soundly beating him senseless. But that had been done surreptitiously so as to not put his future victim on her guard. It was the kiss on Nanoha's cheek that signed his death warrant; he dared to sully her perfect angel with his unclean mouth! When he finally turned to look at her with his pathetic piece of meat called an arm still touching _her_ Nanoha Fate's aura had grown incredibly black and menacing. Yet everything about her appearance seemed calm and collected after all she was just _looking_ at him.

Over the years Fate's eyes have been described many different ways, when she was calm and happy they could look beautiful and captivating like a glass of fine red wine. When she was annoyed or bored they could be called cold and hard like icy rubies. When she was aroused (i.e. whenever she was looking at Nanoha for more than ten seconds straight) they could be said to look like smoldering coals just waiting to flare up into an inferno. But right now her eyes looked nothing like wine or jewels or even coals. No, right now they appeared to be the color of dried blood, a dark maroon almost black color. It was an eye color never seen before as Fate normally did not allow herself to get angry or possessive. Unfortunately for Vice Granscenic he had his utterly worthless meat touching her most precious and dearly beloved person and now those dead blood colored eyes were now taking him in and calculating.

Sensing the dark aura that was now permeating the room Vice's instincts told him to remove his arm from Nanoha and immediately it fell away with a forced laugh and swing of his arm to play off his retreat. Fate's nostrils flared slightly as she took in that he was still standing _too_ close to Nanoha and the man's residual monkey-brain kicked in identifying he was still in danger and immediately had him taking a huge step away from the auburn haired woman but closer to Fate, proving he had a secret death wish. Fate's eyes swept up and down the length of the man and quite honestly she wasn't impressed with what she saw. Deciding her victim should at least know who was about to slaughter him she took a half step forward and introduced herself politely with a half bow.

"How do you do sir? I am Fate Testarossa, and who might you be?" 'Yes, identify yourself so I know what to write on the marker, something other than Worthless Swine, it'd be unfair to the good pigs in the world to lump you in with them.' she thought darkly.

Proving he really was too stupid to live after all, he took Fate's quiet politeness as a sign of weakness and let his pompousness flare back out. With what he thought was a suave smile and to him a sly wink he stepped forward (a step too close) and introduced himself. "I'm wonderful I must say! Vice Granscenic, pleasure to meet you, I am dear Na-nee's cousin, well I am actually cousins with poor Yuuno but once ya get a claim on Na-nee you should never let go, am I right or what huh-aaaah!?"

He was about to start chuckling at his own joke as he attempted to do something so stupid it beggared the imagination. Fate's face was its perfect mask of placid disinterest as she caught the arm that was trying to slip behind her to grope her ass. Holding the arm in a tight grip she twisted his wrist until she felt something pop then held the disgusting man trapped in an arm lock, all the while her face remained calm and even as the grave.

In a terribly cold and strangely detached voice she said to him calmly, "You seem to be under the false impression that people are attracted to you and find you irresistible. I am here to tell you, you are a disgusting little man. If you come close to Nanoha, myself or any woman of our acquaintance and try your sexist idea of flirting again I will personally guarantee you will permanently lose your hand, then whatever you have in your pants that might laughingly be called your genitals."

He tried to flail and break her grip and she just ended up catching his other arm and with both now painfully locked she held him still then gave his arms a small twist making him wince. The only other sign of her increased frustration was the flaring of her nostrils as she spoke to him again in her now almost clinically detached voice, "I know two hundred and sixteen ways to torture a person and not kill them. Some are more tedious than others but believe me when I say I could make your life very uncomfortable for a very long time if you decide to keep pushing your presence into places where it is obviously unwanted."

At this the man pissed himself and noticing this Fate released his arms and took a careful step back so as to not ruin her shoes. With a dispassionate glance at the growing puddle then his beet red face she said, "Have a good rest of the evening Mr. Granscenic, if you'll please excuse us."

Then looking at the three other women in the room she said graciously, "Ladies, I believe it's time for us to join the party."

Then she made a few small gesturing motions at Nanoha and the two co-eds to usher them from the room and the growing smell of shame and urine.

~"~"~"~

Fate hated herself but she made sure to hold herself upright and powerful for as long as that man could possibly see or hear her. Once on a different floor she ended up rushing to the nearest trashcan in the hall and vomiting. Her body was now shaking like a leaf in a windstorm and her head was throbbing in pain. She was a monster after all, well depending on how one looked at it better a monster than a coward. At least she was the kind of monster who would rip and tear to protect her loved ones, not one who rips and tears her loved ones, an important difference. 'But how long will it take for me to devolve enough to not care who I'm hurting?' She grabbed the trashcan again as she dry heaved at that thought.

Nanoha felt her heart break as she saw Fate fall to pieces. She so wanted to take the woman in her arms and hold her tight but was unsure of her welcome. The two young women looked at one another worriedly then Lucino stepped over to Nanoha and whispered, "You need to take care of her. She won't let us near her. Remember how we said she got a little upset last year with a student. Yeah well she had a similar reaction as this to getting angry afterwards. It took one of the nurses to sedate her so we could carry her home. She was pretty torn up about it, I still don't know what ma mère said to her. She doesn't seem to understand its normal for a person to get angry. To need to blow off some steam or that it's okay to fight back when one needs to protect oneself or others. We've tried to explain but she obviously didn't listen or she wouldn't be having this reaction."

Alto moved to her other side and pressed a key into her hand, "This key is good for the next four or so hours, get her in there and help her calm down."

Then the pair withdrew back down the hall and down the carpeted stairs. Looking at the crumpled figure on the ground clutching a trashcan Nanoha wanted to cry for her friend. Vice wasn't worth a mental or emotional breakdown. Looking at the key she saw it was for a room about six doors down. Rolling her shoulders she got ready for a struggle, she was fairly certain Fate was going to fight her. She fought everyone else. Stepping in front of the blonde she pulled the trashcan out of her arms and setting it aside she then reached out to the disheveled blonde.

Fate froze and went rigid then in a strained voice she said, "You shouldn't touch me. I'm a monster. I threatened that man and quite honestly I'd have no qualms in tearing him into tiny pieces before flushing him down a toilet."

Nanoha smiled at that, "Considering the fact that he is a walking piece of shit that seems like the proper method of disposal. I would recommend properly washing your hands after handling him also. I know I feel like a shower after that hug, if you can call what he did a hug, foul creature."

Fate looked up at her seemed confused by Nanoha's reaction. She should be hating her, fearful, disgusted, not smiling at her, not looking at her so warmly.

Cupping the blonde's face she ran a thumb across her cheek before saying, "Don't be surprised, I've been plotting Vice's death for years. Come on, get up. Those girls somehow secured us a place where we can get you cleaned up and relax for a bit."

Fate shifted away for a moment unsure. Nanoha frowned at this and caught the blonde's hand before standing up and pulling on it. "You have two choices; I can drag you kicking and screaming or you can walk like a civilized person."

The blonde blushed as she stood, "I wouldn't have kicked or scream."

Hooking an arm around the blonde's waist she shepherded her down the hall, pleased at the blush Nanoha teased her a bit more, "Who said you'd be the one doing that, if I had to drag you, you better believe I'd be yelling about how heavy you are and how you were acting like a big baby, as for the kicking…well if you were Miyuki I'd probably give you one or two for being stubborn."

Opening the door to the room Nanoha pushed a stunned Fate into the room. Closing the door Nanoha stood for a moment to collect her scattering emotions and thoughts. Obviously humor, black humor, was something Fate hadn't been expecting and as such had gotten past her guard. She'd have to walk a fine line here. She'd have to use humor to downplay what had happened while still staying serious enough to reassure Fate.

Fate watched Nanoha and tried to read her body language, with anyone else she'd be completely clueless but she had found herself studying the woman in the past few weeks and was slowly learning her small tells. Right now Nanoha was _concerned_ , not freaked out or angry or disturbed, and for that alone she had to love the woman. Who else but Nanoha could be so understanding?

Fate frowned down at her hands, she'd gone too far this time, she was obviously dangerous and was clearly developing into a sociopath, she had no regrets for terrifying the piss out of that man. Nanoha stepped closer and covered Fate's hands with her own before pulling them closer to her face. She studied at them closely for a moment before declaring, "Just as I thought, still they are beautiful, soft and gentle. Still the hands of the person I lo…love most. Still the hands of the kindest and most honorable person I know."

Fate had been ready to rip her hands away and deny everything Nanoha said until she heard the L word. Then she remembered Nanoha's promise to always tell her the truth, even if it wasn't something she might want to hear. Though in this case it might be worded 'ready to hear.' Nanoha loves her? How? Why?

Trembling she asked, "Love? You…as a friend surely?

Nanoha squeezed her hands and speaking with all the love and devotion she felt for the woman said, "I am In Love With You."

Fate knew she wasn't lying; she wouldn't disrespect Nanoha's feelings by denying the obvious truth. Instead she asked the only thing that seemed to manner, "Why?"

Nanoha had been ready for this, "Because you're you, the kindest, gentlest, most intelligent, talented and beautiful woman I've ever had the good fortune to have met."

Fate frowned, "I am a monster, you've seen what I am, damaged. Why, why me Nanoha? You could have anyone."

Nanoha shook her head and squeezed her hands but didn't try trapping her by hugging her, "No, you're not a monster. Am I a monster for what I did to Quattro yesterday?"

The blonde shivered, Nanoha protecting her had been confusing, she didn't like seeing people fight but Nanoha had looked so beautiful when she returned and had made her feel so safe when she took her hand afterwards. Shaking her head she said, "You're an angel, my guardian angel. You make me feel safe. But that's just it; you give me too much, what could I possible give you. Why bother with me?"

Getting frustrated wouldn't do them any good so Nanoha took a deep breath and said, "Because you make me happy. You don't look at me and see someone else or what needs to be fixed. Because your eyes, they make me want to make you smile. When you're happy it makes my heart soar. And I know you probably don't want to hear this but because you are the only person I've ever met that has driven me to lust stupidity. Yes, scars and all Fate-chan, I want you. I would do anything to kiss you and hold you but I know you're not ready for that."

Fate pulled away and very deliberately withdrew from Nanoha and went into the bathroom, closing the door and quietly locked it. Nanoha felt like she'd be crushed by a twenty ton boulder. She knew telling the truth would ruin things but after tonight, seeing Fate so angry and possessive it had made her hope. 'Well, just because she doesn't like a man like Vice hanging all over me doesn't mean she wants to.'

Then the door opened again and Nanoha noted Fate had washed her face, and she looked hesitant. Walking stiffly Fate came up to Nanoha and after taking a deep breath she raised her hand to cup Nanoha's cheek and leaned in. Nanoha's mind exploded, she tried to say something but the squeak was smothered by a pair of soft silky lips. The kiss was everything it had promised to be in her dreams and fantasies; Fate was delicious and so gentle. When she finally pulled away Nanoha groaned, "Please," as her hands gripped Fate's sides tightly.

Fate's heart was pounding in her ears and her rational mind was screaming as her hormones took over the control panel. Hearing the soft plea gave the raging horde more strength and her normally overcautious mind was sent reeling. Another kiss immediately followed the first and this time her tongue decided it was time to properly taste the delicate morsel placed before it. Her tongue flitted across the seam of Nanoha's mouth and when she gasped in surprise the pink invader slid in and began to explore. Nanoha was shocked! She had assumed if this ever happened she'd be the one to initiate it. She fully expected to have to lead Fate through every step of intimacy. Hoy-Boy! Fate was doing things to her mouth she didn't know could be done and each sweep of that delightful tongue was making her weaker in the knees.

When she felt the bed suddenly against the back of her legs she realized Fate had been gently guiding her backwards. Oh my! Was she ready for this, were they ready for this? Yes, not really, but that didn't mean they had to stop altogether. Pulling back slightly while maintaining a tight grip on her blonde she said breathlessly, "Fate-chan, I'd really like to give you everything but I think we might not be ready for that _just_ yet. But please, please don't stop kissing me, I want this, I want you, we just need to go slow."

Fate's eyes were living flames at this point and she asked, "Will you touch me?"

Nanoha shivered at the heat in her eyes and said, "If you'll let me. I want to…so badly."

Raising Nanoha's hand with her own she guided it to the zipper of her gown. Eyes closed and her breathing now rapid she said, "Slowly."

~"~"~"~

~"~"~"~

A/N2: I may write a cold shower scene as a continuation, no full on lemons yet, they need to work up to that, what do you folks think? Or should this be more inference when it comes to love making?

So continuing from my earlier question, bad things in three; Was the mini-accident the third thing or is there more to come? Heehee, one way or the other there will be more drama soon, but I think a little calm before the storm to enjoy where we got in this chapter has been earned.

Love ya guys! Please be patient with the next update as I will be starting a new job hopefully in the next week or so. We'll see if this will give me more or less time to write.

Remember every time you review I smile evilly and sometimes even snicker, scaring friends, family, coworkers and strangers. With enough people worried about me they may lock me up in a padded cell hopefully with my laptop then I could write all the time…well I can dream.


	8. Chapter 8: All I Want

A/N: It is official I am a pervert, an entire chapter dedicated to NanoFate's first night together as a couple. I was just going to write a little snippet really then it became a, if we are doing this we need to get everything on the table which sets them off sort of scenario.

Emotionally and physically they progress together through this one night but will this be enough to see them through some darker patches yet to come?

P.S. Please don't expect me to update as quickly as I have been recently. I lost one of my jobs (hence the new job) and have had more time to write. I DO NOT regret losing this prior job as they were rather abusive to their employees and most of the managers were unhelpful. Hopefully I can start my new job this week or next week; in the meantime I'll be writing and sewing (my other hobby).

Updated the Italian: Thank you CrazyLikeArt for fixing my messy use of your beautiful language.

Disclaimer: I do not own the MGLN universe or characters, no profit is being made from this story.

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Chapter Eight: All I Want

Nanoha was happy, scared, and insanely turned on by Fate giving her this much trust. As she lowered the zipper of the dress she kept her eyes on Fate's face. She was flushed and had a slightly panicked look on her face. Not wanting that she paused and instead pressed a kiss to Fate's neck then nuzzled it with her nose as she breathed her in. She felt the blonde shudder and gasp. Pressing more kisses to the already exposed flesh before moving back up to capture Fate's trembling lips.

Pulling away she whispered, "I love you Fate-chan, I promise you I'll never hurt you. We'll go slowly, right now I really want to take both our dresses off and lay down with you. Will that be okay?"

Fate nodded eyes still closed and almost whimpered, "Laying down sounds good. I don't think I can stand for much longer."

Nanoha understood the feeling, Fate so vulnerable and open to her was a heady feeling. Finishing her task she helped Fate slip off her dress and had to swallow hard to keep from pouncing on the poor woman. Holding the silk dress in one hand she briefly let her hand trail down from Fate's long delicate neck down the valley of her breasts and brush across her flat scarred stomach before teasing her bellybutton and skimming along her dangerously low panty line. Taking a deep breath she moved to a chair and laid the dress over it then stepping back she reached for her own zipper only to be caught by Fate.

Holding her by the waist Fate dipped her head next to Nanoha's ear and said pleadingly, "That's not fair Nanoha, you got to undress me. Let me do this."

Fate had a picture in her mind of how this should go, they had to be equals, so she not only had to give Nanoha as much as the woman gave her but she also needed to respect her boundaries, it was only fair. So it didn't matter that Fate was already on the edge of the abyss. Her inner darkness seemed to be screaming for her to push the woman down, flip up the skirt of her dress, rip off her panties and go for the gold. After all if Nanoha was being pleasured she wasn't touching the monster, waking it up, taming it, making the lonely beast inside feel things it had never even imagined.

Nanoha felt her clothing loosen and suddenly Fate was peeling the dress off of her gently and she was ready to swoon. The light fleeting touches of Fate's hands on her skin were making her weak. Stepping out of the gown she had to hold onto Fate for balance and found her equilibrium further unbalanced by burning red eyes. When Fate pulled away to lay down her dress Nanoha found herself trying to take large calming breathes. She was insane if she thought she'd be able to resist Fate if she really pressed her. She already belonged to the blonde, heart, mind, soul, it was just a matter of time before she claimed her body.

Fate was trying to be brave, trying to finally take what she had been desperately trying to avoid ever admitting to having wanted. All her adult life she had suppressed the feelings flooding her now, feelings that seemed centered on the woman before her. The dreams and fantasies had snuck up on her, filled her with a painful need and now she could have resolution. Yet, Nanoha was here, standing before her in all her glory and all she could do was stare at her beauty. Nanoha wasn't sure why Fate was just standing there next to the chair looking at her. Before Fate had seemed ready to take the initiative but now she seemed to be hesitating again.

"Fate-chan are you alright? We can stop now, I don't want you to feel pressured," the fear of rejection clearly laced Nanoha's voice. Scarred or not Fate was in her mind a thousand times more beautiful than any woman she had ever seen. She was just Nanoha, no one special, why was this woman trusting her, giving her such a precious gift?

Fate heard the fear and it jump started her brain. Walking the few steps to close the gap between them her eyes were glowing with love and lust relieving Nanoha's mind. Pressing her forehead to Nanoha's she lightly held the woman around her waist. The feeling of Nanoha's bare skin was sending wave after wave of electrical shocks to her brain that demanded more of this wonderful stimuli. Then she felt Nanoha touching her, lightly, lovingly running her fingers up her sides over the ridges and grooves that ran the length and breathe of her body, learning her secrets.

Taking a steadying breath she said, "You are incredibly beautiful Nanoha, when I look at you it enthralls me. You should never think me staring at you as being a bad thing. I told you before you distract me from everything else around me; I can't pull my eyes away. I'd try to paint you but I don't think there are the colors to capture you properly. You seem like the embodiment of life to me."

Nanoha pulled the blonde in tighter and felt tears well up in her eyes. How could Fate see so much in her? Fate could bring to life the most captivating and stunning pieces of artwork, how could she think she couldn't paint boring little Nanoha? To be painted by Fate would be a dream come true, to see herself as captured by Fate's eyes, hands, perceptions.

Pressing a light kiss to Fate's slightly bruised collarbone she said, "One day, please say you'll paint me. I want to know what Fate-chan sees when she looks at me."

Kissing Nanoha's temple and finding it easier to just keep her lips on Nanoha as she whispered a reply, "It'll take a long time, when something is important to me I take my time. It took me nearly six months to finally finish a painting of Alicia and Einhart. I can only imagine how long it would take me to finally feel satisfied with a painting of you. I love my family and I would do anything for them but you…you…ah I fear you own my soul."

Nanoha caught her mouth in a desperate kiss and pushed her backwards towards the bed. Pulling back only when they reached it to take a ragged breath to say, "I know you already own my soul Fate-chan, and everything I am is yours. I pray you never tire of me."

Fate sat down at these words as she felt her heart, which was already working overtime, try to rocket out of her chest. Not knowing what she was doing but needing more contact she reached for Nanoha and pulled her onto her lap. Nanoha had a choice she could sit cradled in Fate's arms across her lap or she could straddle the blonde and open herself completely to her. She opened her legs and moved to sit on Fate's lap, as she climbed onto the bed and making sure her legs touched as much of Fate as possible she placed her cleavage directly in Fate's face.

Fate had increasingly wondered what Nanoha looked like fully naked. Had wondered if those dreams of her suckling Nanoha's full breasts were accurate in making her insanely edgy, would Nanoha even like it? Then Nanoha settled on her lap and the enticing mounds were no longer on full display. Fate could now feel the heat radiating from Nanoha, a heat that called out to her. Then Nanoha's hands were touching her again, her face, neck, shoulders then down her scarred arms and Fate flinched slightly as her hands move to her back. "Shh love, I want to feel you. You feel amazing to me, your warmth and strength, the softness and smooth ridges, it all makes up my Fate-chan, the person I love most."

Her lips joined the exploration kissing Fate's neck and shoulders and made her groan when she felt Nanoha begin to suck on a sensitive spot. Fate squirmed and their breasts rubbed together through the thin layers of lace and silk. The feeling was electrifying and suddenly Fate was gripping Nanoha tightly and was purposefully pressing them together for more of that wondrous feeling. Nanoha gasped and fell back against Fate's strong arms arching into her.

Fate's hands slid down and hoisted her lover up in her lap then resettled her so she could reach the thin lace of Nanoha's bra. It barely concealed the pouting pink nipples that were straining at their confines begging for attention. She reached up and let her hand brush across Nanoha's lace covered breasts. Nanoha gasped, this felt good…more than that… incredible, just this smallest of touches seemed to light up her nervous system like a Christmas tree. Fate let her hand continue to lightly skim across each of the soft mounds as her other stayed firmly wrapped around Nanoha keeping her close and supporting her. Her hand traced the shape and gently squeezed exploring this new wonder. Nanoha needed more so she shifted and placed herself eye level with Fate.

Fate's eyes widened at this offer bounty but never to be one who begrudged a gift she pressed small kisses on Nanoha's exposed chest, not quite daring to touch the lacy enticements with her mouth. After a few kisses she heard needy mewl come from above and Fate decided since Nanoha had placed them before her it obvious she was okay with Fate going beyond just touching them. It appeared the rule was wherever she was allowed a touch she would be allowed to kiss, or lick or... 'Go slow,' her mind told her.

Nanoha was about to complain about needing more when Fate leaned in and kiss her aching nipple which was trying to peek out through the lace and the light touch made her want to cry in frustration and need. Then Fate's hot mouth was consuming her through the lace barrier. Whining and holding onto Fate's head to hold her to her breast Nanoha wanted to grind herself on the blonde but knew that would push them into territory they weren't ready for. When Fate finally released the now swollen pebble Nanoha growled and without a hint of embarrassment she pressed her other breast to Fate's lips.

Not needing further invitation Fate latched onto the cloth clad enticement, slightly frustrated that Nanoha hadn't pulled off her bra or at least moved it so she could touch her directly. She wanted more of Nanoha and this was killing her. How many more cute little noises could she elicit if allowed to touch her directly? 'Slowly. Slowly. Slowly.' was the pounding mantra in her head. Nanoha would give her everything in time. Don't be greedy.

Fate let her hands slide up and down Nanoha's back, she could feel the clasp of the now hated bra and it took all her self control to leave it alone. With another squirming moan Fate felt like Nanoha was trying to kill her, there was a heat building in her and she needed more. Letting her hands skim lower she grabbed Nanoha's bottom, squeezing taut shapely cheeks and massaged them. Nanoha pulled away from Fate, her body was officially overheated and rational thought had left for the day.

Standing up she breathed deeply but no amount of breathing exercises was going to assuage the aching in her core. Gawd damn her stupid nobility and Fate for respecting her. Fate's eyes burned into her, questioning, wanting. Nanoha turned to her and said, "Slowly Fate-chan, though I don't know why anymore. I want to feel you, I want your hands on me, I want you inside me."

Closing her smoldering eyes Fate said in a lust tinged voice, "Let me, please. I want to taste you. Anymore of this teasing and I'll go crazy."

Nanoha wanted to give in but the sight of the bedside clock told her they only had a couple of hours alone in this room left and once she started she wouldn't want to stop. There she thought a rational reason to not start, and also a fair reason to get dressed again and go back to their own hotel room. Fate was calmed down, well she wasn't upset anymore, so they shouldn't have any issues getting out of here now.

"Get dressed," Nanoha snapped out almost like an order.

Fate felt some of her ardor cool, had she upset Nanoha? Blinking back the lust haze she saw Nanoha was pulling her dress back on and felt panic fill her. "Nanoha? Oh love I'm sorry I didn't mean to push you. Oh god I'm just as bad as that man. You told me to go slow and I just had to push… Ti prego amore mio, Nanoha, ti prego... Non lasciarmi." [ _My love please, please Nanoha…don't leave me.]_

Nanoha was for a moment still lost in her own lust fueled haze, all she could think of for a moment was getting Fate back to their hotel and completely stripping down so she could press herself to Fate. She ached to claim Fate completely. Hearing the raising tones of panic in Fate's voice coupled with the pleas killed her lustful mood. Hurrying over she cupped Fate's face and tried to calm her, "Shh…Love I'm not angry. Shush now, listen to me, I want to go back to our room and carry on. Go farther, honey this room isn't ours for the night. When I start to make love to you, you better believe I'll be in no hurry to stop."

Sighing and pulling Nanoha in Fate hid her face in Nanoha's stomach as she spoke, "I think you are right about going slowly Nanoha. Since kissing you I've been crazy with lust for you. Still feel it but now I'm also thinking about all the ways this could go wrong and we need to figure out what this is. I don't know the first thing about dating or relationships but I think we might have skipped a few steps."

Nanoha laughed and kissed the top of Fate's head and said, "Welcome to my world love, I've been struggling with my lust for you for months. As for relationships, darling you have to know I'm as clueless as you. I was just a girl when I got married, never really had proper dates or romance. Gawd I was so stupid."

Rubbing her face against Nanoha to derail this thinking Fate then said, "Don't think about the past love. Look forward with me. Will you go out with me? I'll do everything I can to give you what you deserve, the romance, dating, the whole nine yards."

Feeling the tears sneaking up on her again she pulled Fate's head away from her body and cupping her astonished face she kissed her soundly. When she pulled back Fate was smiling contentedly, "I sure hope that was a yes. Otherwise I'll have to keep asking if that was a rejection."

Giggling at that, "Nyahaha, Yes Fate-chan, that was a yes. I love you so much. I would love to have the whole relationship and dating experience with you."

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Fate and Nanoha found the whole sneaking out of the hotel and avoiding awkward questions was easy as they came to the main level there was a rowdy fight going on between two people. Who the pair couldn't tell and honestly they didn't care. Walking half a block clinging to each other's arm and smiling like fools they enjoyed the evening air and each other's presence. Fate looked over at Nanoha and had to pull her to a stop. The auburn haired woman looked up at her questioningly but no words were exchanged as Fate pressed a kiss to her lips. Nanoha trembled at the touch; she hadn't thought Fate would be so bold, public displays of affection was pretty high level stuff in relationships. How was it a woman who less than six months ago had avoided her eyes and touch was now staring at her with soul-devouring eyes as she held her loosely around her waist? In public! As if the question was in her eyes Fate seemed to know what she was thinking and responded.

Smiling sadly she said, "I don't mind touch so much Nanoha if it's from the people I love and trust. Alicia and Einhart taught me to not only accept it but enjoy it. Hah, I freaked out so much the first time that child climbed into the bath with me. But she accepts me for who I am, just like you. It'll take a while for all my flinching to go away with you but that's only because you do things to me that they never have and never will. I avoided your eyes before because you have no idea how much looking at your eyes makes me want to touch you, makes me want to be touched by you. I told you before I'm tired of fighting my feelings, so if you want me then I'm yours. I'm trusting you, and I'm terrified, you could destroy me."

Nanoha pulled her in, not caring a whit for the passing crowds, pressing a kiss to her neck, cheek and lips before saying, "I love you, You. Are. Mine. Today, tomorrow and every day after."

"I'm going to try my best to be everything you deserve, I don't want you to regret your decision to be with me," Fate pledged.

Sapphire eyes looked troubled at this statement, "Fate-chan, I want you. Just you. Be the same person you were yesterday, this morning, twenty minutes ago. I don't want you to become anything for me. Remember what I said to you, I am happy when you are," touching Fate's face she traced her eyes before continuing, "I'll see the truth here. Love me openly and freely, that's all I ask."

Fate nodded but had a contemplative look on her face. Nanoha flagged down a taxi and had it take them back to their hotel as Fate worked through whatever was troubling her. Holding onto to the blonde she led her to their room. Once there she wondered if Fate's new pensive mood was going to rob her of cuddling and perhaps another hot make out session. Fate sitting in an arm chair continued to stare off into the distance her hands locked together.

Brushing back the blonde's bangs Nanoha asked, "Fate-chan what's wrong?"

"What do you want from me? Where do you see us in five years, ten or twenty for that matter?"

Nanoha was shocked, Fate really was taking this whole situation seriously, and while she was grateful this wasn't something she was taking lightly she had hoped for more um _romance_ on their first night as a couple.

Looking her in the eyes and being as forthright as she could she answered, "I want you as my wife and co-parent to a house full of children. Whether I carry them or you, if you agree, is up for discussion. I want that within the next two years honestly, in five years I want us in a home with our children happily raising them together. In ten the same, in twenty I'd hope our children would be just about ready to leave the nest so maybe we could do some traveling to show them the world. And in fifty or sixty years I want to be by your side spoiling grandchildren and great grandchildren. I want you for this Fate-chan, no one else will do."

Fate covered her face with her hands and hunched over. That was not the response she thought she'd get, terrified of having scared her off for good Nanoha fell to her knees in front of her and said, "Fate-chan I know you are scared of having children and if you really can't stand the idea I'd rather be with you than have a dozen babies. Please, please love, don't freak out on me. Don't push me away."

Hearing Nanoha's desperate plea Fate looked up and saw fear and anxiety in her beautiful eyes and did what she wanted to do from the instant Nanoha had said wife and co-parent, she pounced. Suddenly Nanoha had an armful of amorous blonde raining kisses down on her. Her face, neck and chest then she was missing her dress and that wondrous mouth was on her breasts once more. This time Fate was not being restrained and unclipped the offensive bra that kept her from her prize. Nanoha was writhing on the floor with the voracious blonde hovering over her. The feeling of teeth and tongue on her sensitive peaks was too much and she flipped them over so Fate was sprawled under her. Fate's eyes were burning hotter than before and her hands gripped Nanoha's hips as she somehow not only sat up but lifted them both up with Nanoha suddenly clasped to Fate's hips.

Fate was breathing heavily with her need to restrain the beast inside her; her need to devour and claim was bursting the seams of her self control. Taking the few short steps to get to the over-sized bed they shared she then leaned over and pressed her lover into the mattress as she pressed hot open-mouthed kisses down her neck. Nanoha tightened her legs around Fate to prevent her from going lower as she reached up to try and pull her ravenous mouth away. Fate growled and caught her arms before pressing them to the bed over Nanoha's head. Face to face Nanoha could see a terrifying hunger in Fate's eyes. If anyone else had looked at her with eyes like this her flight or fight instincts would have kicked in but this was _her_ Fate. Instead she relaxed; she had already acknowledged Fate owned her completely now it was time to put up or shut up. Could she honestly give up all control and let a woman with such a traumatic past do as she pleased with her body? Yes.

Loosening her grip with her knees she let her legs fall open as she grasped the bed sheets, silently implying she would not move her hands if released. Fate took in the more relaxed attitude and an edge to her desperation disappeared. Kissing Nanoha with a hot passion caused her to squirm and arch up but she refrained from trying to take the lead, pulling away Fate whispered, "Thank you love," then kissed a blazing trail down her neck again.

The questing mouth conquered as it descended, loving and worshiping every inch it came across. Fate discovered a small birthmark no one had ever noticed and loved it. She found a small scar on Nanoha's leg where she had fallen as a child and kissed it lovingly. Each small defect Nanoha had ever hidden Fate found and loved, if this woman was going to accept her then this small thing was the least she could do. Nanoha was panting and aching, she had rarely felt true desire until meeting Fate. The woman had awoken the kind of lust that had driven her to self pleasure for the first time in her life. If she hadn't worked the edge off she would have gone mad months back. Yet all the fire that had burned in her belly before tonight was nothing to this.

Kneeling on the ground before the greatest treasure she had ever been entrusted with Fate removed the lacy panties that were soaked with arousal. She had to clench her teeth and take a calming breath, Nanoha was swollen and wet. Never having done anything like this before but knowing she wanted to explore everything about the woman she loved she took a second to spread her open and the pink flesh beckoned. Tentative licks became more confident with each pleasured sigh and moan, each involuntary arch of desperate hips. Finding the best spot that made her sapphire eyed angel moan and squirm she concentrated on it with a dedication she applied to only those most vital things in her life.

When Nanoha began to beg Fate knew something more was needed to give her lover release and reached up with her talented fingers and let them learn the contours of her womanhood before sliding a finger into Nanoha's needy center. The slick heat was amazing, as she pushed in deeper she searched and explored once more seeking every secret place that brought her lover pleasure. Fate could feel Nanoha meeting her every thrust, the tightness gripping her pushing to be rougher than she had intended but Nanoha just cried out for more. Sliding in a second finger she thrust deeply seeking that perfect spot as she let her mouth descend once more and pulled Nanoha's throbbing nub into her mouth once more. The gasping scream of her lover's release only vaguely resembled Fate's name but it was enough to fill the blonde with immense pride.

Standing up for a moment she looked down at Nanoha, spread out at the edge of the bed, hair a tousled mess, eyes half lidded with exhausted pleasure, luscious curves raising and falling quickly as she tried to regain her breath. Leaning over she once again gripped Nanoha but this time she lifted her higher up the bed then pulled the sheets out from under her to cover her sweat coated body to prevent her from getting chilled. Nanoha grabbed her hand as she pulled away, "If you want me to stay warm lay down with me. I want to feel you next to me."

She patted the space next to her and said, "This is where you belong, lay down."

Fate wasn't sure how to feel at the moment, giving Nanoha pleasure had fulfilled something inside her but she still felt an edginess and wasn't sure how to assuage it. As she crawled into the bed Nanoha frowned, concerned she asked, "What is it?"

Blushing a little but never taking her eyes off Fate's generous curves she said, "I had hoped you would take your underwear off before coming to bed. It would have made things easier but this might be more fun."

Fate was only able to get a small 'huh' out as she saw Nanoha lick her lips before she pounced onto her. Now flat on her back she had a very naked Nanoha straddling her and looking at her with a similar hunger she had had just moments ago. Sapphire eyes raked down her form and made her squirm. Smiling at this Nanoha leaned over and kissed her before whispering, "My turn."

Fate held onto the headboard to restrain herself from either; running away from all the new and overwhelming feelings or more likely flipping Nanoha over and repaying her for every bone melting caress and kiss. Fate knew the feeling of Nanoha's mouth on her body kissing and caressing her was one she'd never learn to take for granted. The very idea was ludicrous, and Fate for one was thanking every deity she had ever heard of that Nanoha had fallen in love with her and not Alicia. Shaking now with an indefinable need she begged, "Nanoha, please…Oh love I need…I need you…please make the ache go away."

Nanoha smiled at this she had been more diligent in exploring Fate's body than she had intended but once she tasted the blonde's skin she found herself addicted. She had been extra careful not to leave any love marks on her, perhaps in the future she would but tonight she wouldn't do anything to frighten Fate more than necessary. Pulling back from a particularly sensitive spot on Fate's hip she gave the spot a small lick then blew on it just to see the blonde writhe one more time and hear that delicious moan. Gently she maneuvered herself between Fate's legs and let her hands smooth up and down the long lean length of her thighs.

The small patch of blonde hair seemed to glisten like gold, but here was a treasure beyond anything as trivial as gold or jewels. Gently she let her hand skim the outer lips which was already honeyed with dew. Nanoha felt her breath hitch in her throat when Fate made a mewling sound of desperation and her hips shot off the bed trying to push Nanoha's hand deeper into her. Pushing the blonde's hips back down and holding one down with her right hand she let her dominate hand return to its interrupted exploration.

When she finally spread the delicate petals apart Fate was so far gone when Nanoha's hand brushed innocently against her swollen clitoris she came without warning. Nanoha was strangely pleased and disappointed, she wanted to do so much more but surely going again would overwhelm Fate on their first night. Fate opened her eyes and looked at Nanoha's contemplative face. Had she done something wrong?

"What is it love? Is there something wrong with me?"

Nanoha's eyes widened in shock at this misperception, "No, no love, you're perfect. It's just…I seemed to have teased you too much and now you've come. I wanted to do more to you and well I'm afraid I am a rather wanton woman as I want to continue. I want to make you come again but I don't want to overwhelm you."

Fate felt the monster inside her growl, _again?_ Looking at the beautiful body above her she said, "We can go again only if I get to make you come again too."

Nanoha felt her body tremble at the thought, would Fate want to dominate her again? It had felt amazing and she had come so hard she thought was going to pass out but the intensity of that kind of experience twice in the night might kill her. Burgundy eyes grew worried, "Love, I didn't hurt you did I? If I did something wrong please tell me, I know I was rough with you."

Leaning over and kissing her blonde goddess she said, "Only you would apologize for giving me a mind blowing orgasm. I am just concerned that I might not survive you making love to me again if you do it so intensely again."

Frowning she asked, "How else is there? I see you and I want to worship every inch of you. I want to give you pleasure."

Smiling at this beautiful notion Nanoha reached out and teased a rosy nipple, "We can be more playful, lightly tickle and tease. We can take turns touching each other then…um rub against each other or do what you did to me to each other at the same time. There are a lot of ways we can pleasure each other, maybe even use a toy if you're not against it."

Fate twitched a little at the word toy but she wouldn't rule it out, if it gave Nanoha pleasure she'd at least try. The little nod and tentative smile made Nanoha's heart quiver with love. Brushing back blonde bangs she said, "We'll work up to it. For now I want to love you some more."

Then she scooted down so she could lay beside Fate with her head resting on her hip. Pressing a kiss to a light scar at the top of Fate's thigh she then nudged her legs open and let her hand skim over the still swollen lips, it was clear Fate was still aroused; it would likely only take a little work to bring her to the brink once more. Slipping a finger between the moist folds she gathered the dew before seeking out the Fate's highly responsive nub and giving it a loving tweak which made her gasp and arch. Shifting so she was now laying between Fate's legs she pulled one leg over and scooted closer so she could take her first taste of heaven. The velvety folds were addictive; her taste, scent and exquisite reactions proved once and for all this was where she belonged. Loving Fate for the rest of her life, throughout eternity if possible now that she had found her missing piece would be her ultimate goal.

The fact that no one had ever touch Fate, that this experience was hers alone, these sights and sounds would be her privileged secret made Nanoha's head swim. Dipping her tongue into Fate teasingly she then slowly worked her up until Fate was crying out once more for release pulling back she quickly licked her fingers before running them up and down the hot slit before positioning herself at Fate's entrance. How much if any barrier she may have after an active lifestyle and general living Nanoha had no clue, she just prayed she wouldn't be hurting her beloved to badly.

Slowly she pushed into this virgin territory with one finger eliciting a gasp. Fate was tight but her tongue had already prepared her partially for this invasion. Shushing her lover and whispering endearments as she pushed deeper in and was engulfed in a paradise of welcoming heat. Fate's body as it was stretched molded itself to this new invader and seemed to pull her in deeper. Slow and steady strokes quickly devolved into powerful thrusts as Fate begged and pleaded for more of Nanoha as she arched up. A second finger joined the first and Nanoha changed her angle so her palm met with Fate's oversensitive clit with each resounding thrust. Once, twice, and Fate fell apart shuddering and moaning Nanoha's name.

Gently, reverently she removed her hand and slid up to lay down next to Fate. Looking at her slick fingers she knew her next move would likely either repulse or confused Fate. Bringing her fingers to her mouth she tasted Fate and savored the sweetness. Fate watched Nanoha clean her hand of her essence and was strangely turned on by the gesture. Nanoha was delicious; did she find her just as addictive?

Worried sapphire eyes took in curious wine colored eyes and she pulled her hand from her mouth, "Do you think I'm gross?"

Fate gave her a quizzical smile and leaned over to kiss her then said, "I love the way you taste so I could only hope you feel the same. So now it's my turn again, let me see if I can do this without killing you."

Fate was gentle and teasing having memorized all of Nanoha's most sensitive spots she used this knowledge to great advantage. Between squeaking at the teasing tickles or sighing and moaning at the gentle caresses Nanoha found Fate definitely was an exquisite lover. When it came time to relieve the throbbing need which had returned with a vengeance Fate asked her, "How do you want me to do this? I want to make you happy, give you as much pleasure as possible."

Nanoha reached for Fate and sliding her hand down her curves until she found Fate's secret treasure and probing found Fate was very aroused. Fate in turn gasped before grabbing Nanoha's hand to pull her away, "No, it's my turn. Ah ha Santo cielo, mi farai morire." _[My god you'll be the death of me.]_

Nanoha smirked at this, "No dying Fate-chan, not for a very long time. I plan on loving you for a very, very long time."

Then she pushed the flushed woman over and positioned herself between Fate's long legs. Questioningly Fate pleaded, "Nanoha?"

Taking pity on her lover she relented enough to say, "Consider this our turn."

Then she pulled one of Fate's legs over her thigh and scooted closer so they were pressed together. Fate groaned when she felt Nanoha's wet heat press onto her own. Spreading them both open gently Nanoha was careful to press as much as possible on Fate sensitized bud with her own. The groaning and bucking of hips under her clearly showed Fate was enjoying this immensely. When Fate grasped her hips and began to work her faster she let her and within seconds both of them were falling over the edge once again.

Nanoha opened her eyes minutes later snuggled against Fate's chest. She didn't remember falling asleep but she could definitely get use to this. Never in her life had she ever felt so happy, fulfilled, complete. Snuggling in closer (as if that was possible) she sighed contentedly. When a long fingered hand began to play with her hair she mumbled, "How is it you can move? I feel like my bones have melted."

The soft chuckle above her head sounded like a rumble with her head pressed to Fate's chest. Then a soft kiss was pressed to her forehead, "I love you. And yes I am tired, you wore me out for now. But I suspect in the morning you will be hard pressed in finding an escape from me. I am interested in those other ways to make love."

Nanoha laughed and tilted her head just enough to press a kiss to the soft skin she was nestled against. "I love you. And you'll be hard pressed to find a more willing captive. I'm yours love, you'll hear no complaints if you want to make love to me again."

Pulling the sheets tighter around them Fate sighed, "Good, I plan on loving you for a very long time."

Nanoha smiled at that and let herself slip into dreams of her beautiful blonde and the babies they would surely be having soon.

~"~"~"~

Please Review, they keep me writing every chance I get and smiling all day long.


	9. Chapter 9: Reality and Dreams

A/N: Okay really I had nothing to do all day and just sat and wrote. I think I need a massage now but I did it all out of love for NanoFate, madness I tell you! One more day of freedom from work left (maybe) then it'll be back to slower updates.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything in the MGLN universe, no profit is made from this story.

~"~"~"~

Chapter Nine: Reality and Dreams

Fate was still trying to catch her breath as Nanoha moved over her again, so much for not wanting to overwhelm her, insatiable woman. Grabbing the wanton beast she pulled her down and held her tightly against her chest. Nanoha's growl of frustration made her laugh and press a kiss her forehead, "Love I'm not going anywhere. But if you expect anything more out of me you're going to have to feed me, otherwise I'll be dead from exhaustion soon."

The sound of Nanoha's stomach growling at the reference of food set Fate off laughing, "I think you have two appetites that need to be satisfied. First breakfast then we can see about more love making."

Nanoha was blushing against Fate's shoulder, she really was awful. When she felt Fate nuzzle her hair she shrank into the blonde further in embarrassment. When the blonde chuckled again she pouted, "It's not funny. I've wanted you for months. After Hayate told me she thought you liked me it got worse. I actually started researching how two women did things together, gawd I am such a pervert."

Fate squeezed her tightly and sighed, "If it makes you feel better I dreamed about you. Ever since the auction, at first they just showed you kissing me and touching me. Eventually they evolved into us doing more um explicit things. I'd wake up and feel edgy all day."

Nanoha raised her head and looked down on her blonde counterpart, "Edgy? You mean horny?"

Fate smiled at her and said in her horrible English, "to-may-to, to-mah-to."

Her sapphire eyed lover snorted, "Oh the one lesson you actually got. I must say I'm doing better with Italian than you are with English. If you'd just stop frying out my brain with those eyes of yours when you talk to me I'd do better."

Smirking at this pouting declaration Fate teased her further, "I'm just looking at you. Are you saying I can't look at you anymore?"

Nanoha sat back and straddled Fate's hips and said defiantly, "Can you stop looking?"

Burgundy eyes skimmed up and down the length of the beautiful form before her and said in a tone now laced with lust, "No."

"Humph, I didn't think so. Now I think it's time you put that talented mouth of yours to work."

Fate flushed at this which made Nanoha laughed at the cute response, "I meant ordering room service. And I thought I was bad, naughty Fate-chan has her mind in the gutter."

The blonde flushed deeper at the teasing then feeling the need to one up her feisty lover she grabbed Nanoha's hips and pulled her forward suddenly as she said in a husky tone, "Maybe a snack before breakfast would be a good idea."

Nanoha grabbed for the headboard to keep from being pulled all the way forward, eyes wide she admonished, "Fate-chan! You...You ah!"

Fate stopped pulling on her hips and settled on her stomach before running her hands up Nanoha's sides to lightly tickle her, "You tease me, I'll tease you right back love. You have to realize I've lived with Alicia nearly all my life and she is the worse. If I didn't learn I would have been eaten for lunch, it was survival of the fittest."

Shaking her head Nanoha brushed away Fate's wandering hands and climbed off the teasing blonde, "You've never been this bad before. I've seen you tease her but ah, really? You're such a meanie."

Fate watched as Nanoha picked up her robe and tied it on. Part of her was relieved as it meant Nanoha wasn't _likely_ to pounce on her again while another part was upset at the lost of the wonderful sight. Getting up she pulled on her robe and picked up the phone. As she ordered something safe she watched Nanoha pick through her drawer to find clothing. Seeing that her inner beast was kicking her for teasing the auburn haired woman too much, it wanted more Nanoha-time. Hanging up she came over to Nanoha and wrapped her arms around her waist and nuzzled her neck and with her best pleading tones (as learned from her evil relatives) she called out, "Na-no-ha, I love you, please don't be mad at me."

Making the mistake of turning to face her lover she was confronted with the most pathetic set of puppy eyes she had ever encountered. Melting immediately she wrapped her arms around her blonde puppy and pulled her in for a kiss. Fate's heart was doing cartwheels, having Nanoha upset with her would have ruined the entire day, thank god for puppy eyes.

When the auburn haired woman pulled back she whined and Nanoha giggled, "You are something else you know that? I think you tricked me, making me think you were all helpless and innocent. I thought I was going to have to struggle to get you to be open with me, to get you to accept my love but nope you just pounced on me. I think you were a trap, one set right on my path and I didn't just fall in I jumped in thinking there was a helpless puppy stuck at the bottom when it was a ravenous wolf."

Fate gave her a rather canine grin and said, "Does that mean you're going to keep me, I do tricks."

Nanoha smacked her shoulder lightly and muttered, "Awful," though she was smiling at the silliness.

It was then a knock at the door came and Fate sighed before saying pleadingly, "Don't get dressed, please."

Tightening her robe she opened the door only for a disheveled and exhausted Lucino to fall through the door. Fate caught the girl as she stumbled suddenly afraid for the girl. Half carrying, half leading the girl she tried to get the girl to speak, "Lucino, Lucy talk to me. What happened to you?"

The girl responded to the hated nickname, "I hate that name. Ugh do you have any water?"

Nanoha immediately went to the bathroom and poured out a glass before returning to the girl's other side. After taking a long drink she looked up at the pair. Her worried eyes told of looming trouble, "Nanoha-sensei you might want to sit down. This isn't very good news. Last night after we left you two we went back downstairs and Granscenic was making a hell of a racket. He claimed someone assaulted him, apparently he was too stupid to remember Fate-sensei's name but he knows you so don't be surprised if someone official comes around soon.

"As for why I look like hell, the idiot recognized me and Alto but we split up to avoid him but since we _ran_ we looked guilty and were _brought in for questioning_. Spent all night trying to explain it wasn't what it seemed, and the idiot was the one who instigated the whole thing by groping Nanoha-sensei and attempting to grope you Fate-sensei. They called down to the university and the fact that both of you have an Official Warning against you is making it appear like we somehow entrapped the idiot just so we could humiliate him. Don't know who'd bother, he's enough of an embarrassment on his own."

Nanoha groaned and covered her face with her hands. Perfect, just perfect. She finally gets a little happiness in her life and the pig had to show up just to try and foul it up. Fate frowned then said, "Thank you for coming here to tell us so quickly. We need to show we have nothing to hide, we'll clean up and head over to the nearest police municipale and make a statement. Well no, better idea, Nanoha you need to get in contact with the Japanese Embassy, you'll need a lawyer to go with you and I can't think of a single one who can speak Japanese and French. I don't want you trying to think in English and mess yourself up, the French police are not the kindest people especially to foreigners. I'll need to contact the Italian Embassy, I trust my French but it'll look better this way."

Lucino seeing Fate had things in hand excused herself just as the breakfast cart arrived. Fate pulled it in and in a foreboding silence they ate. Getting progressively more worried Nanoha finally asked, "How bad is this?"

Fate looked up and frowned, "Not too bad honestly, worse case I can't work at the university again and have to pay a fine. It's just getting to that decision that will be painful, we could end up spending all weekend in custody answering the same questions over and over again like we just committed bloody murder and they are still searching for parts."

Nanoha wasn't sure if that was a joke or not, "Fate?"

The lack of honorific made her blink and snap out of her darkening mood, "I'm sorry love, it's I just wish I hadn't reacted so badly last night. I made a mess of everything. We should be looking forward to a day together just enjoying the city and now we'll be stuck in the seventh level of hell for god only knows how long."

Getting up Nanoha came over to Fate and sat on her lap, cupping her face she smiled before kissing her then said, "I love you. We'll get through this. I suspected the idiot would try to raise a stink at some point, I just thought he'd run home to mummy first or in his case aunty."

Then she rose from Fate's lap and instructed, "I'm going to get a shower, call your embassy and I'll call mine while you get yours."

Fate nodded but now had another worry, would this effect Nanoha's custody of Vivio? How much power did her former mother-in-law still have over her? Shaking the concerns from her mind she thought, 'one problem at a time,' then rose to call her embassy.

It wasn't all weekend but it was a long twelve hours, luckily both artists had enough professional clout to pull upon and the _truth_ of prior events all showed them to be good people who just didn't lay back and take abuse. Understandably they were warned the need for _restraint_ in the future was needed or there would be serious consequences. Fate paid the hefty fine for what exactly she wasn't sure but her lawyer had gotten the charges changed from assault to something more mundane misdemeanor which saved her teaching career, not that she honestly cared. If she was banned from the university that'd be one less way Shario could pressure her to _visit_.

Leaving the station both felt exhausted and wrung out. Fate slid an arm around Nanoha and pulled her closer, taking comfort in the contact. Amazed again how much her life had changed for the better since this woman had entered her life even with this tiny blip. Pressing a kiss to her forehead as they walked she said, "Thank you."

Squeezing the blonde's waist in response to the kiss she then asked, "What for Fate-chan? I didn't do anything."

"For not hating me for dragging you through all this mess. For not being Quattro and turning against me and trying to place the blame on me. For being you and still standing by me."

Pulling her lover to a stop Nanoha turned her to face her, "Sweetheart listen to me, I could never hate you. I sure as hell would never turn against you like that cow. I want to spend the rest of my life with you so where else would I be but next to you?"

Fate kissed her fully on the lips and smiling said, "Let's get something to eat then head back to the hotel and get a shower. Then I believe I still own you for this morning."

Nanoha smiled brightly at this and hugged her Fate tightly, "That sounds wonderful."

~"~"~"~

The next day was everything Saturday should have been, waking up to make love then have a late breakfast nearby before taking in a few more hidden gems only Fate seemed to know. A picnic lunch in the park was followed by a tour of one of the smaller galleries that had an excellent collection of lesser known artists that were much more pleasing to take in then the now highly overrated works on display in the major museums and galleries. Then a dinner at a small restaurant that was better than anything Nanoha had experienced.

When they got back to their hotel Nanoha looked at Fate questioningly. Which made the blonde twitch an eyebrow as if to say, _yes?_ Finally curiosity got the better of her and she asked, "Fate-chan it seems to me you are too good at this. Are you sure you've never dated?"

Fate laughed as she caught Nanoha around the waist and snuggled her in tight, oh yes she was addicted alright. Nanoha was feeling frustrated, something wasn't lining up right, Fate was way too confident and good at all this, where was the clumsiness and shyness. Not that she wanted that for Fate but this all seemed too good to be true. Pulling away she asked again, "Have you had relationships before? Was it all an act? Why are you being…being so good to me?"

Realizing she had to explain or ruin something more precious than her own soul she said, "Sit down, it's a weird story."

Nanoha frowned but acquiesced, once settled Fate knelt in front of her which made her frown but she was only shushed. Taking a deep breath Fate began, "Ever since Alicia and I hit puberty people have been following us around as you said once like cats in heat. I have no earthy clue why, I never sought out the attention. I just want to be left alone in my little bubble with those few who I have deemed _safe_ to be in it with me."

Nanoha caught the hint and felt a blush form. Fate saw it and smiled a little as she continued, "Alicia at first refused to date which pissed off a lot of people in high school who thought I was holding her back. When we got to college I made her promise me she would begin to live her own life, see people, go out. Even if I wasn't comfortable with the idea I hated the idea of her being stuck at home with me every night. Besides she's hyperactive as hell and needs someone to entertain her every second, I really prefer not to be that someone most of the time."

Nanoha smiled at this description of Alicia and had to agree she was a handful. Nodding at the smile Fate continued, "She in turn made me a deal, for every five times she went out I had to go out once. Usually to a party of some sort which was where she decided to try her drinking experiments on me. Sometimes it was on group dates which were very annoying as there was always one idiot who thought we'd be interested in a three way with him or her. Disgusting. I love my sister but have no ugh sexual attraction for her. Even if she wasn't my sister she is the last person on earth I'd want to date."

Nanoha was beginning to feel like a heel, she had assumed the worse when her expectations hadn't been met, but when had Fate ever been what she had been led to expect? Squeezing Nanoha's hand Fate went on, "As time went on Alicia learned to leave me alone for the most part but came home and told me stories of what she'd been up to, her conquests. At first I would listen and not comment but eventually her behavior began to infringe on me, angry ex-girlfriends mistaking me for her as in the red dye incident I told you about. It was about that time I put my foot down and told her she needed to be more forthright with the women she was seeing. She had to make it clear she wasn't looking for anything permanent or exclusive so they'd understand exactly what they were getting into. She agreed and her reputation as a heartbreaker just grew but at least the women stopped hunting me down. She still told me about what she had done to woo this one or that and how much fun she was having. I ignored most of this but the idea of doing some of those things with someone that I actually liked did take hold. I would never let myself imagine the person next to me but I could see myself doing those things with someone."

Nanoha climbed off the chair and hugged Fate tightly, "So everything you've been doing is part of those dreams and fantasies. Things you never really thought you'd do but wanted to."

She was nearly in tears now for being so suspicious, Fate had never lied to her why would she even assume there was something wrong. _Because I am too happy, I've never been this happy before._

Fate held her and kissed her cheek, "Yes, for a long time now Nanoha was been sneaking into my dreams and now I have a chance to make some of them come true."

At that the auburn haired woman pulled them up and pushed Fate onto the bed, "I am an idiot Fate-chan, but if you still want me I will do anything I can to make all your dreams come true."

Fate smiled and reached out to her and said, "You already are."

~"~"~"~

The following week was much more peaceful and fun. Though Nanoha did find she had to restrain herself from throwing herself at Fate during her classes if the woman stared at her too long with _those_ eyes. When she decided to fight back by letting her skirt ride up a little too much she found herself in a utility closet shortly after that class being pressed into the door by an avarice blonde. Gawd the woman had some of the craziest fantasies and was tearing her apart at the seams with how good she made her feel.

Alto and Lucino watched the byplay with great interest and laughed to themselves at how easy it had been. All you really needed was to try and separate the idiot pair and watch them come flying back together like a pair of magnets. Pushing together something that was already stuck tight together was waste of time. Lucino looked at her friend and not so secret love as she watched the idiot love birds depart for the day. "Are you really going to let me marry a man I don't love?"

"It's your decision, I can't stop you."

"Yes you can. You know what I want, who I want, why are you being so stubborn?"

"And in five or ten years when you finally decide you made a mistake what happens to me then? How am I supposed to go on without you? This way we can be friends forever, I don't have to lose you."

"Yes, yes you will, if you insist on this stupidity then you can consider our friendship over. I won't settle for less than a real relationship with you. I won't waste my life living with man while all I can do is look at you. If I marry Lowran you'll never see me again, I'll at least owe him that much, I won't pine over what I can't have right in front of him." Then she was gone.

Alto was clenching her fists trying to control herself, _let her go, better now than after she's torn you to shreds. I'm already shreds so what does it matter._ With that thought she took off and searched for the one person she would ever love.

~"~"~"~

On the last day of class Fate and Nanoha noted a change in their shadows, smiling at the younger pair Fate thought, 'Well this so-called vacation has changed a lot of people's lives for the better. I just hope everyone at home will be calm about the changes that have occurred. Oh god I'm never going to hear the end of it from Alicia-nee.'

As the last student left Nanoha came up to her blonde and gave her a quick kiss, Fate felt a fluttering in her stomach, she had mentioned how much she liked it when Nanoha showed her affection and the woman had embraced the idea fully.

"Well sweetheart what do you want to do now, shall we spend the last two days of our vacation here or should we head straight home and deal with the hordes of people who are going to want to say 'I told you so.'

"Um neither, I was hoping to introduce you to someone, my uh mom."

Nanoha frowned, "I thought she was dead? If not I can arrange it."

Fate puffed a laugh, "Not my mother, my mom, Lindy Harlaown. You know Chrono-kun's mum. She lives in London, I was thinking we could take the Chunnel and spend the weekend there then fly out Sunday from Heathrow."

"Oh, your _mom?_ I didn't realize you still felt that way about her. I would be happy to meet her. I just hope she likes me," Nanoha responded hesitantly.

Kissing Nanoha's worried brow Fate soothed, "She's going to love you. I promise."

~"~"~"~

With the stopover in England agreed to Fate made the call she had been putting off for some time as she really wanted to speak to the woman in person. As soon as she said she wanted to visit the thrilled agreement to the idea that came over the phone made her wince and pull the phone from her ear. Fate promised Nanoha they wouldn't spend the entire time visiting with her mom but would at least like the first stop to be visiting the woman who had been so very important to Fate growing up. Preferably Fate wanted to spend the morning catching up have lunch then escape before she had time to pull out photo albums.

The meeting was rather embarrassing for the blonde as the teal haired older woman fussed over her and then subjected Fate to a million questions catching up with her long lost daughter. That Lindy Harlaown was Chrono's mother had made Nanoha a bit nervous, would the woman even like her? Had she wanted Fate for her son or was she happy with the way things had turned out? Lindy revealed as the morning went on that she had known that her son was already in love with Amy and had tried to break off the engagement. It had been her late husband's idea and not a very good one at that.

Dragging Nanoha off to the kitchen under the premise of preparing tea but wanting a more private conversation Fate was left sitting in the living room to stew in her own juices as she waited. She knew the older woman would no doubt take it upon herself to check the sincerity of Nanoha's affections. She just hoped she didn't upset Nanoha too much.

"So Nanoha-san how long have you been interested in Fate-chan?" the older woman asked as she put the kettle on the stove.

Arranging cups and saucers Nanoha answered smiling, "Almost from the moment I met her. From the first she just entranced me. I wanted her to smile and laugh, she was so closed off and that first night at my family's bakery she laughed and it made my heart jump…soar. I didn't want to admit to the feelings at first but eventually I just stopped fighting them but never outright said anything. A lot of people back home assume we've been together for a while but are hiding it. We just danced around saying what we were both feeling because we were too scared to get hurt."

Pouring out tea into an infuser then dropping it into her favorite teapot Lindy asked, "Hmm, and if things get rough or ugly, what then? You haven't been around her long enough surely to have seen her nightmares I assume. Or seen the full extent of her scarring. She is very particular about covering herself."

Nanoha frowned at the question as she arranged cookies on a plate but replied calmly, "I've seen both ma'am, she got sick and I took care of her. The fever brought on a horrible nightmare. That was the first time I also saw her scars, I tried to undress her to change her clothes and found them. She told me about what happened to her that night. I know she isn't perfect but neither am I. I love her."

With an arched eyebrow the surrogate mother asked, "The first time? How often have you seen her scars, just what is the extent of your relationship? I had assumed the girl would keep you at arm's length and just speak to you about her _irregularities_ until she was surer of your feelings."

"Fate-chan and I are dating, exclusively with the intention of marrying in the near future. As to the extent of our physical relationship I don't think that's any of your concern," she said defiantly, no longer liking the way Lindy was speaking of Fate, 'girl?!' she was a grown woman.

The teal haired woman frowned and turned fully to glare at the young woman before her, "I just got that child back in my life. I will not stand by and let someone who can have no concept of who or what she is destroy her just so she can get her jollies. You will respect her person and refrain from touching her. I won't stand for anyone forcing themselves on her."

Fate had heard the raised tones in Lindy's voice along with a kettle being ignored, knowing that couldn't be a good sigh she came to the door to hear the topic of argument, _oh dear_. Walking into the kitchen Fate picked up the kettle and set it down to the side. Both women were still glaring at each other and hadn't notice the lack of noise or her presence until she came up behind Nanoha and wrapped an arm around her to turn her to her and pressed a smoldering kiss to her lips. Nanoha was taken off guard for a moment but threw herself into the kiss thinking _,_ 'to hell with what this witch thinks of us.'

Lindy was shocked, Fate had just instigated a kiss with this woman and it was quickly escalating beyond anything she had ever expected from _her_ quiet shy child. Fate with much regret pulled away and hugged Nanoha to her, "Lindy, I love Nanoha. We have an adult relationship, take that to mean whatever you want. She didn't force me into anything, in fact I kissed her first. We came here so she could meet you and hopefully get your blessing. I don't really need it but I'd like to have it and to know when the time comes you'll be at our wedding."

The older woman's mouth flapped open and closed for a moment as she wrapped her mind around this new person before her. The timid and frightened girl she had known was gone and a confident mature woman stood before her. Swallowing she cleared her throat before she said, "You grew up, in my mind you're still eighteen. Heartbroken and lost thanks to that stupid son of mine."

Shaking her head Fate laughed, "I wasn't, I never loved Chrono-kun, not that way anyway. He was…is my brother. You and Clyde-sensei were more my parents than my own ever were to me. Why on earth would you think I'd fall in love with someone who was and had always been my protective older brother?"

Lindy was confused, "But you shut down. You pulled away from all of us. Why if not for a broken heart?"

"I was ashamed. I let Clyde-sensei carry on with his stupid engagement and nearly ruined the happiness of my brother. I couldn't even image kissing him let alone sleeping with him. How could I have thought to bind him to a loveless marriage? I thought Chrono spoke to you, told you about our meeting and cleared this all up with you. Why are you so surprised?"

"I thought he was exaggerating, how could you not be in love with him, you clung to him. Other than that sister of yours I never saw you close to another person, what was I to think. I knew he didn't love you that way and Amy was his happiness, I felt bad for your future disappointment. That's why I thought it was for the best to end it before it came to tears when he finally cheated on you. Clyde thought otherwise, he thought Chrono would learn to love you as a husband ought in time."

Fate laughed, "Not hardly. We never kissed or even felt the slightest attraction to each other, that's why I felt so safe with him. If he had even shown the least sign of being interested I would have run for the hills."

Lindy looked at Nanoha and questioning this, "And with Nanoha, you don't want to run?"

Nanoha was still stuck to Fate's side and she looked over at her, "No, this is where I want to be, who I want to be with."

Seeing the truth in both of the women's eyes Lindy relented, "Well I must say this is a surprise. I had hoped for more grandchildren but as long as you are happy."

The blonde smiled at that, "Oh there will be grandchildren mom. I just need to talk to someone when we get home. I just hope she isn't too angry with me thanks to Alicia-nee."

~"~"~"~

Walking out three hours later Nanoha was laughing and clutching a book to her chest as if it was the most priceless artifact in the world. Fate rolled her eyes at this, Nanoha now had photos of her from the ages twelve to eighteen, the most awkward ages she had ever live through, oh the embarrassment. Oh she had been physically attractive but even in photos you could tell she was painfully shy and most had her hiding behind something or someone. Nanoha was going to have a field day with that damn album. Peeking into her leather bound treasure Nanoha giggled one more time, 'Oh Fate-chan had been soo cute!'

Fate reached for the book and Nanoha jumped back protecting it making the blonde laugh, "Keep it up Nanoha and I will tickle you and hide that thing until I feel you've earned it."

Nanoha stuck her tongue out at this and moved a few more feet away from her lover and teased, "And I would just call Lindy-mama and tell her you're being mean. She told me has all these photos scanned onto her computer so _if_ you think of hiding this to just call her and she'll send me digital copies."

Rubbing her forehead in mild exasperation Fate sighed, "I should have known you two would bond over those horrid things. She loves showing those ugh photos. I had hoped to get out of there without you seeing them."

Seeing her Fate-chan looking so frustrated with this she had to ask, "Fate-chan why does it bother you so much? You were so adorable. It makes me look forward to seeing what our babies will look like. I just wish there were photos of you as a baby. I bet you were gorgeous as a baby."

This halted Fate in her tracks and she turned to look at Nanoha and without warning she had her in a tight grasp kissing her. Nanoha nearly lost her grip on the album but found she could wrap one arm around Fate's neck and keep the book tucked against her safely just in case this was all a ploy to get it away from her. When the blonde pulled away she said breathlessly, "You are amazing."

A little drunk on Fate at that point Nanoha could only reply, "Hmm?" with a dreamy smile.

Smiling at the goofy smile she had put on her lover's face, "When do you want to get married? Agh no that was all wrong, I need a ring. I need to do this right, stupid, stupid. Um…"

Nanoha was now kissing her and both arms were now wrapped tightly around her neck, the stupid photo album now forgotten. Pulling back she said, "I'd say today but our families would kill us." Then paused and a horrible realization hit her, "Oh gawd, you are going to have to be the one to tell daddy."

Fate blanched at that but nodded, it was her duty after all. Swallowing she asked, "You will be there right? Just to make sure he doesn't kill me. I'd hate for you to be a widow twice over before you're even married."

Nanoha laughed at that then suddenly realizing she had dropped her precious photo album pulled back to scoop it up and dusted it off. Hugging it again she then looked at Fate, "You mess with this and I'll tell daddy you jumped me. Then run."

Fate choked which set Nanoha off laughing. Blowing Fate a kiss she skipped off down to the end of the street to flag down a passing taxi.

~"~"~"~

The rest of the weekend was spent in a glow of expectation, they were really going to do this. As soon as their families could be brought together they would be announcing their engagement. Nanoha wondered if this was all too much, too fast but looking at Fate all she could think was 'why not now?' She had known the woman nearly nine months now and each day made her love her more. Everything about Fate made her want her more and considering the way she looked at her it was pretty clear Fate was feeling the same way.

The flight home was spent looking over the photos as Nanoha wanted to know who the people were and the stories from Fate's youth. Fate found herself looking at the past with new eyes and soon was laughing over some of the photos which made Nanoha even more curious and once the resulting story was told she was giggling with her. When fatigue caught up with them Nanoha curled herself up against Fate again and fell asleep safe in the knowledge that she was in the arms of the one she loved.

Monday was a difficult day to get through having to go to work and not kiss Fate had to be worse experience of her life. Especially since Fate kept _looking_ at her. They had found three prospective employees during the last week in France and had made arrangements for them to come to work during their break. Yanagi was thrilled with the portfolios he was given. He did notice the two women before him were standing even closer together than before and as they left he smirked to himself and thought, 'Best thing I ever did was hire that Takamachi woman.'

Fate had arranged to meet Alicia and Einhart at Midori-ya Café after work and hoped the vagueness of her answers of how her trip had gone the night before hadn't tipped her hand. Little did she know there was now a conclave meeting to discuss the apparent lack of progress on the NanoFate front. Hayate, Reinforce, Carim, Alicia, and Momoko had all met to discuss what they saw were the issues holding their idiots from finally getting together.

Hayate huffed, "Cia-chan I thought you said your agents in Paris could do something to help the situation. Those two seemed more distant instead of closer when they got off the plane."

Alicia glared at her cell phone and had to admit, "They stopped returning my calls after Friday night. They said they had something that was surefire but it looks like whatever it was might have backfired and now their hiding from me. When I get my hands on them…"

Carim placed a hand on her shoulder which immediately calmed the agitated blonde, sighing she said, "Sorry love."

Reinforced rolled her eyes at this, really Alicia Testarossa whipped was something she never imagined she'd ever see. It'd serve the woman right if Carim was just stringing her along but the older blonde was honestly smitten with the blonde heartbreaker and was transforming her into her personal house-pet. Wonders never cease.

"Momo-chan do you have any ideas on why they want everyone here tonight?" Alicia asked the beautiful older woman.

"None, Nanoha just called me and said she had some souvenirs she wanted to give us and some news."

Suddenly Alicia froze, "Oh god no, she wouldn't. God damn that Shario, if she did what I think I'll kill her."

Everyone looked at her questioningly forcing her to go on. "Ah every time Fate visits she tries to get her to stay and work at that damn university. They are always looking for talented artists to work in a mentoring program they have, the fact that Fate works with her would be enough to secure her a spot. That could be the only reason why Fate is pulling away. Nanoha accepted and she refused."

Everyone looked doubtful, Momoko finally pointing out, "Do you really think Nanoha would move Vivio away from us so soon? She just got settled her in school and with her relationship with Einhart it seems cruel to separate them on a whim. My daughter is a lot of things but not cruel or whimsical."

Throwing her hands up Alicia said, "I don't know what else could have them barely looking at each other at the airport. They weren't even holding hands."

Hayate slapped her hands down on the table, "Enough it doesn't matter why, the question is how do we fix it?"

The room was silent for a long moment then Reinforce said, "Lock them in a closet together is the best I got. The looks they were giving each other the last time I saw them made it clear the sexual tension between was a powder keg waiting to go off."

Carim smacked the girl on the arm and said peevishly, "You've been spending too much time with that idiot pervert. Now be serious."

Rubbing her arm the silver haired woman said, "Look Carim-sensei Alicia-san might like that kind of thing but I don't. Keep your hands to yourself."

Squinting her eyes she retorted, "Just because you couldn't handle her doesn't mean you have to bark at me girly."

Alicia and Hayate looked at each other as if begging the other to intervene and stop _their_ girlfriend from killing the other's. Momoko put a hand on each of their shoulders and said in a quietly menacing voice, "Ladies, we have bigger issues here than your egos. I want grandbabies, time is not on my side on this. My daughter wasted nearly ten years of her life with a man who should have been kicked in the ass for touching her instead of being allowed to marry her."

Trying to be the voice of reason was not Hayate's strong suit but she tried, "At this point we don't have enough data, I say we wait until tonight and hear Nanoha's news then plan accordingly. If she is looking to leave Japan again we use Vivio to guilt her into staying. If she met someone else which seems the next likeliest thing we trash the bitch or bastard. I'll use every contact I have to dig up so much dirt on the thief even their own mother will demand we string them up."

Seeing nothing more could be done at the moment the group broke up for the time being. In a few short hours they'd know exactly what they were facing.

~"~"~"~

A/N2: Haha evil NanoFate hiding their relationship from their loved ones until the big reveal! Please review it gives me warm fuzzies and feeds the muse.


	10. Chapter 10: What!

A/N: Shortish chapter but lots of fun in it. A big surprise will pop up which will change how things are fairing for our favorite couple towards the end, tell me what y'all think.

Disclaimer: I do not own MGLN or its characters, no profit is made from this story.

~"~"~"~

Chapter Ten: What?

As the last of their, in Nanoha's mind, greedy coworkers left their office with a souvenir from their trip she sighed, 'Alone at last.' She had no idea why Fate was so generous with people, especially when some of them were more likely to spread malicious rumors than smile at her. She really was too good a person, generous, loving, gentle, and beautiful and had been _neglecting_ her all day. It was time to put that to an end.

Getting up Nanoha closed their office door and the small click of the lock resounded like thunder in the suddenly small space containing the two women. Fate had been fairly certain something like this was going to happen eventually, she had skipped out on lunch with her lover to run a quick _errand._ Nanoha had been less than pleased especially when she refused to let her come along. Now it was time to face the music, she just hoped her decoy deflected her suspicions for just a little longer.

Fate was still sitting at her desk putting away the last of her materials and turned to face her lovely doom. The dark look in Nanoha's eyes made it clear she would not be leaving the office until she got what she _wanted._ Swallowing nervously she asked, "Yes love?"

Stopping right in front of Fate and placing her suddenly much more exposed cleavage directly in Fate's eye line she asked sweetly, "Where did you go this afternoon?"

"Ah, ha well I had to run an errand, nothing too important but it had to be done. Would have been a waste of your lunch hour to drag you along," she replied desperately trying to maintain eye contact with Nanoha but her eyes kept dipping lower to the enticing array before her.

"Well then it shouldn't matter if you tell me what it was you did then, huh?" she asked as she slowly lowered herself onto Fate's lap.

The warmth and scent of her lover so close after an uncomfortable night of loneliness without her was almost enough to break her, but then a wickedness awoke in her, who said Nanoha wasn't about to walk into another trap? Letting her arms wrap around her feisty lover she pulled her closer and whispered in her ear, "Curiosity killed the cat."

Nanoha growled low in her throat and giving Fate a suspicious look she decided to push one more time, Fate would fold, her pride demanded it. Pressing a hot kiss to the blonde's mouth and grabbing a sensitive breast she begin to massage it making Fate squirm beneath her. When she pulled back she asked again, "What were you doing Fate-chan?"

She was now gasping for air and trying to calm her now racing heart but was still defiant, "Why should I tell Nanoha? It's just a little thing."

Nanoha's brow furrowed and she began to undo the buttons to the front of Fate's blouse but was caught before she was further than the second one and suddenly found herself being lifted and being settled on Fate's clean desk. Then her arms were being captured and being held behind her. Fate pressed hot kisses down her neck as she moved to hold her prisoner with one strong hand. Once she had a hand free she began her counterattack, unbuttoning Nanoha's blouse to the last exposed button then pushing it open and brushing aside the lacy bra to begin teasing the needy nipples begging for attention. Hooking her chair she pulled it closer so she could half crouch on the seat to give her a most comfortable position to continue her attack on the two peaks that had been so teasingly presented to her before.

Mouth suckling as her one free hand continued its teasing pinches and massage making Nanoha bite her lip to restrain the moans she desperately wanted to cry out. Pulling back from her delicious treat Fate asked in a teasing tone as she slid a hand up Nanoha's thigh, "Do you really want to know or do you want me to continue?"

Groaning Nanoha looked down at her grinning lover, "Uh, I think I hate Fate-chan right now."

Fate laughed at this, "No, I can see you still love me. So what shall it be?" she asked again as she let her fingers brush the outer edge of Nanoha's soaked panties.

With a groaning sigh she said, "Touch me, please. I missed you so much last night."

Fate's heart fluttered at these words and she released Nanoha's hands so she could cup her face and kiss her fully. Pulling back she said, "I love you so much. I missed you last night too."

Then she went back to loving Nanoha to make up for their lonely night. When Nanoha finally came from Fate's skillful fingers being deeply lodged into her she was holding tightly to the blonde and a whimpering mess. Fate rubbed her back to calm her as she whispered loving endearments to her. Finally feeling Nanoha's body settling Fate pulled her fingers free and released her lover so she could settle back in her chair. Nanoha slumped on Fate's desk watching her as she cleaned her fingers salaciously. Nanoha swallowed hard as she thought of the things Fate's slick tongue had done to her during their past week together and felt her arousal stirring again.

Seeing her auburn haired lover squirm she had to smile and pushing back Nanoha's skirt she looked at her current messy state, tut-tutting she said, "This won't do Nanoha, we have to clean you up or someone will suspect we've been up to something."

Kneeling she pulled Nanoha to the edge one more as she began to clean her with her rapacious mouth. Covering her mouth with her hands Nanoha was lost in pleasure once more. When she came for the second time she felt her ruby eyed lover continue lapping at her to extend the pleasure and drink up every drop of her release.

Handing Nanoha her panties back from where they had been discarded on the floor Fate then settled back in her chair with a cat that ate the canary smile. Nanoha looked at her ruined panties and swore vengeance that night. Sighing Fate finally said, "If you must know what I was doing I'll tell you but you have to promise not to be upset with me."

Nanoha looked at her questioningly, "What were you doing?"

Knowing that was not a promise but knowing she would be in trouble no matter what tonight after all her little tricks she reached for her suit jacket and fished out her decoy, a flat jewelry box. Reaching out she handed it to Nanoha, "I was shopping for something special for you. I know we haven't been able to find proper rings yet but I wanted you to have something from me at least to wear tonight when we tell our families."

Nanoha opened the box and gasped, inside was a gold necklace with a pink pearl pendant with a matching set of earrings. Looking up at Fate she couldn't believe the woman before, "Fate-chan this is too much. I can't…"

Fate frowned at that, sitting up she took the box from her hand and pulled the necklace out, "You will. If you can't accept this from me then maybe you're not ready to accept a ring from me either?"

That stopped any further protest, "I love you and I want to accept your ring and anything else you give me. I am just not use to this sort of thing."

Kissing and nuzzling for a moment before Fate carefully secured the necklace around her neck. Seeing it hanging enticingly in the cleavage of Nanoha's breast she had to admit it was perfect for her. Nanoha carefully removed her plain stud earrings for the matching set and enjoyed the look of satisfaction on Fate's face. "Do you like the way they look on me?"

"Beautiful," she said reverently but that had more to do with the woman before her than the jewelry and her lover knew it.

Smiling Nanoha readjusted her clothing and straightened herself up. Getting up from the desk she reached out a hand to Fate and asked, "Ready?"

The blonde looked at her with soul devouring eyes once again, "If it means I get to keep you by my side, I'm ready for anything."

~"~"~"~

Elsewhere in the city

Walking to Midori-ya café a pair of blondes were arguing. The red eyed one was trying to convince her blue eyed companion she really was wanted at the upcoming meeting.

"I want you there. You're important to me and whatever happens tonight it will likely affect us both."

"In other words you want me there just in case I'm needed to make Nanoha-sensei jealous," the blue eyed one responded angrily.

Hearing this Alicia halted and pulled the other woman into an alley away from the sight of passersby. Pressing her into the wall she kissed her hard then pulled back to state firmly, "I don't want you anywhere near my sister."

Carim looked at her questioningly, "Why not just a few weeks ago you were all gung-ho for the idea? Jealous? Think I'll change my mind?"

Alicia Testarossa wasn't used to people telling her no or arguing with her, she was beautiful, rich, and intelligent and just got her way that was the way it was. Well aside from Reinforce, who she had never really seriously considered as anything more than a friend. She had liked the fact that the woman had the moral and personal conviction to say no and hold to her decision but still be friendly and open with her. The flirting towards to the end of their first encounter had been nothing more than her trying to keep the woman as a friend but not knowing how to be _just_ friends with another woman she had made a flop of that.

Hurt at the accusation and actually more than a little afraid Carim really would find her younger sister more attractive if given time to know her she said, "Damn right I'm jealous."

The older blonde scoffed, "I knew you had a little sister complex but this is ridiculous. You really don't want to lose her to Nanoha or anyone else do you? Throwing me at Fate will just drive her off. Admit it. You just want it to be you and your sister that's why you keep stringing people along."

Confused for a minute over what was being said then realizing exactly what Carim was asserting she leaned in and growled, "No you idiot, I'm jealous over you. I'm pretty sure that if you really did spend any time with Fate you'd fall for her, everyone else does. She's always been everyone's favorite. People only turn to me because they can't get her."

Blue eyes opened in shocked surprise, "No! That's not true and you know it. I wanted you from the start. I don't give a damn about your sister. You are not a replacement for your sister, you're my Alicia."

The pair was then locked in a tight embrace kissing, the soft sounds of moans drifting on the wind catching the attention of another pair walking down the sidewalk. Worried someone was hurt they entered the alley and found the blondes wrapped up in each other. Reinforce looked at the pair and rolled her eyes looking at her shorter companion who was now pulling out her cell phone to take pictures. She smacked the brunette woman's hands. "Stop that, we're going to be late if we let them carry on."

The sound of voices caused the amorous pair to part to see who was in the alley with them. Carim seeing Reinforce immediately had her guard up again, she would not lose her Alicia to this red eyed demon. Seeing the older blonde tighten her grip on the elder twin Reinforce had to snort a laugh, "Enough Carim. I don't want her, she's all yours, really."

Then she wrapped her arms around the shorter woman beside her, "I found the one I want. She's silly and sweet and I know I can trust her with my heart. Besides Alicia is too tall for my tastes."

Hayate was basking in the attention until the last; turning her head up at the taller woman she said indignantly, "Hey! That's not nice."

Rein smiled at this pout and pressed a kiss to her nose before saying, "You're perfect just the way you are darling. Fun sized."

Carim rolled her eyes at the pair and pulling Alicia along with her she said, "If you'll excuse us we have somewhere to be. Don't be all day getting there, you'll hold things up."

Hayate watched the blondes depart and said, "She really doesn't like you. Why is that?"

Shaking her head the silver haired woman said, "She thinks I'm still playing hard to get with Alicia so I can steal her away."

The short brunette froze and asked in a small voice, "Are you?"

Looking down at her partner she saw the fear in the normally confident and bright blue eyes. Pulling her into a tight hug she leaned down and kissed her sweetly, "I love you."

"You…you do? Ba…ba…but what about…"

"I'm not Alicia Hayate, I would never have started this with you if I didn't care for you. Surely you didn't think I'd just sleep with anyone," Rein replied her eyes now hurt.

Hayate seeing this felt horrible and bowing her head in exculpation before saying, "I love you too. Pretty much from the first time we met. You're one of the few people who even understands my sense of humor and doesn't think I am a freak."

Rein smiled at the cuteness of her little lover and pulled her in tight to her chest, just where the little monster loved to be, and said, "Come on darling, we're going to be late."

~"~"~"~

Upon arriving at the café Nanoha noticed the sign on the door, 'Closed due to Private Party, Sorry for the Inconvenience.' Rolling her eyes she couldn't believe her parents had actually closed the café just because had said she had news. Well at least this way everyone could be there and they didn't have to worry about interruptions. Putting down her bag of souvenirs and pulling out her keyring she found her key to the store front and was about to slot it in when the door swung open and an excited Miyuki opened it with a bright smile, "Nanoha-chan, Fate-chan, you're here. We were worried you'd be running late but perfect timing. Dinner is ready come in and sit down."

The restaurant may not have been open but it was still packed, her parents, elder brother and his wife, Hayate and Reinforce, Alicia with oh that was a surprise Carim, Vivio and Einhart, Alisa and Suzuka, Teana with Subaru _and_ Ginga ugh couldn't she have stayed home, and the cuties Caro and Erio. Nanoha searched around and failed to see her nieces and nephew, it appeared Kyoya and Shinobu had left their children at home. Pity, she could have had Fate hold one of the girls as a shield from her father, oh well. Miyuki had hooked Fate's arm nearly overbalancing the overburdened blonde that was carrying two bags of goodies. She then pulled her to the head of table where the elder Takamachis waited to greet the blonde. Nanoha had to smile at this, her family really loved Fate, hopefully that extended to them protecting the blonde long enough to prevent Shiro from killing her.

The collection of well loved people enjoyed the delicious meal and Nanoha found it difficult to maintain the façade that nothing had happened between her and Fate. She had to admit it was a horrible trick to play on their family and friends but with all the teasing they were likely to receive for being idiots she felt it was worth it. After dinner was cleared she leaned over to pick up the first bag and her new necklace fell out of her blouse.

Immediately Arisa noticed it and pointed it out, "Nanoha-chan where did you get that?!"

Blushing a bit at this blunder she said, "It was a present."

The short haired blonde's eyes slitted and she asked, "From whom?"

"Ah, well from someone," she hedged.

"Takamachi Momoko Nanoha! Where did you get such an expensive gift?!" her father roared.

Nanoha winced but had to smile a little at the fact her father had forgotten the Scrya part of her name. Standing up she said "Well that's part of what I wanted to tell you tonight. But ah first Fate-chan has something to say."

Fate looked at her lover and realized she was being fed to the lions. It served her right for buying that necklace but it did look good on Nanoha and they had planned on telling everyone tonight but she just wished Shiro's blood pressure wasn't already reaching the stratosphere.

The older but very fit man looked at the blonde with a fierce stare. Fate got up and standing before the man she then dropped down to her knees with her head bowed and asked in as even a tone as she could muster, "Takamachi Shiro-sama, Please give me your daughter's hand in marriage."

The room exploded in shouts and exclamations. Shiro was staring at the bowed head of the blonde before him and was wondering how quickly he could get his katana and end this. No one was taking his baby girl from him again!

Momoko seeing her husband's hand twitch smacked him across the back the head and hissed, "Say Yes!"

His eye twitched at the blow but continued to glare at the woman before him.

Across from this small tableau was another person ready to kill Fate being held back by a purple haired heiress, "She's a sneak thief, she was so suppose to date her and drag her feet until they were too old and grey to do anything. That's what you all told me would happen! You lied!"

Vivio and Einhart were hugging like mad jumping up and down squealing, Vivio wasn't going anywhere!

Hayate was sitting there in frozen shock as Rein watched her giggling. Leaning over she whispered, "Looks like Alicia-san's agents were better than you in the end. Too bad little General you can't claim this victory." This made the little brunette woman glare at her for a moment before breaking out into happy laughter and hugging her girlfriend.

Subaru was giving a stunned Teana a shaking hug in her excitement while yelling, "Go Fate-sensei!"

Caro was grinning and giggling like mad as she hugged the shocked Erio.

Kyoya and Shinobu were smiling at each other in lovey-dovey reminiscence.

Ginga rubbed her mouth in contemplation of the situation before deciding it was a good match and joining her little sister in shaking Teana.

Miyuki was grinning like a Cheshire cat and so relieved; her baby sister was finally going to be with someone who deserved her.

Alicia sat there slack jawed for a moment, her little sister had tricked her, that damn placid unreadable look of hers had hidden this from her and…and Damn! She was good! She was about to run over and hug the stuffing out of the still kneeling blonde when Carim held her back whispering, "She's still waiting for an answer hold on."

Pulling out of the grasp she said wildly so the whole room could hear, "Phish! As if Momo-chan would let Shiro-san say no, she wants grandbabies."

Shiro turned to his wife in startled betrayal, "You'd give our little girl away again just for more grandchildren?!"

Momoko turning a bit red but rallied and said, "They love each other and oh come on Shiro-kun you know they'll be beautiful babies."

He had to grudgingly agree at that. Nanoha at this point was tired of her father being a sorehead said sweetly, "Daddy Fate-chan asked you a question, please answer her."

The sweet tone did not hide the unvoiced threat that if the answer wasn't a yes he'd be in a world of pain. Trembling at the look in his daughter's eyes so reminiscent of her mother's death glare choked a bit before saying gruffly, "I suppose so, but remember I'll be watching you. I won't see Nanoha stuck in another loveless marriage."

Fate got up at this and with full conviction said, "You'll never have to worry about that, I love her with everything I am. Thank you sir."

Fate was suddenly being squished in a tight hug from both her fiancée and sister. Rolling her eyes she gave her sister a quick embrace and said, "Enough Cia-nee, one would think you'd know I'd want to be hugging Nanoha right now."

The elder blonde pouted, "Just like that imōto you are replacing me, I see how it is."

Nanoha laughed at this and pulled the blonde back into the embrace making the elder twin laugh happily and Fate grumble, "Just don't get any weird ideas, Nanoha's mine."

Carim laughed as she walked up and pulled her blonde out of the group hug and said, "Don't worry about that Fate-sensei, I have this one all sewn up."

Lifting an eyebrow she looked at the older woman curiously, "Is that a fact? The last time I saw you, you where looking for me so forgive me if I am a skeptical."

The older blonde flushed and cleared her throat before saying, "I knew I wasn't addressing you when I spoke to Alicia that night. I knew she had the tendency to pretend to be you to guard you from unwanted attention. I used that as a chance to get her alone. After that we started seeing each other for a while with your sister pretending to be you, which meant she was rather well behaved. During that time I charmed her and well eventually she came clean and so did I."

Fate stared at the woman for a moment her face a placid mask as she took this in then she covered her eyes with a long fingered hand. Trying hard to maintain her composure but the laughter broke free, she was too happy to even try to pretend to be anything else. Full happy laughter broke out of her and everyone looked at her in surprise, when she calmed down enough she said with glee in her eyes, "Well done, you two are most definitely well matched. Um I hope this makes my next request a little easier for you to agree to."

"If I can help I'll do what I can, what is it?" she asked hoping to keep the goodwill of her hopefully future sister-in-law.

"I understand in Germany you were working on a project with Shamal Wolkenritter but it was shut down due to religious pressure in the country and that was why you immigrated here. In hopes of finding new investors and the more liberal outlook this country has on your kind of research. You succeeded in all the trials except human which were banned. I would like to volunteer to be your first human test subject."

Nanoha looked at her fiancée and said, "Fate-chan what exactly are you volunteering for?"

Carim broke in, "It's very safe, non invasive and has a very high chance of success."

Nanoha wasn't amused, "Fate-chan?"

"Um well you said you wanted babies so I was going to volunteer for Carim-sensei to use um our ovum to have a baby. She can combine the genetic material and make it so we can have children of our own."

Sapphire eyes opened wide, "I thought we would have to find a sperm donor, are you serious? Carim-sensei you can do this?"

"I haven't done it with humans yet but in all my testing with lower life forms I have succeeded and produced healthy offspring with the ability to procreate normally," she said with a little trepidation.

"I'm doing it. Me. Fate-chan can go next but I want to do this. As soon as possible," Nanoha was now shaking Carim's arm and jumping up and down in excitement.

Fate tried to form words for a moment, "Oh no, I'm going first, this is experimental, I will not have you hurt if this fails. You've had one miscarriage as it is."

Nanoha glared at her and said, "I'm carrying our first child Fate-chan, deal with it. Ah…please I need to do this."

The look in Nanoha's eyes went from angry to sad in a flash and took Fate's breath away. She hugged her to her and said, "Okay love, but you better believe I'm going to be hovering over you like a hawk the entire time. No complaining about me babying you."

Fate then looked Carim in the eyes suddenly very serious, "Hurt her and I hurt you. Understand me."

The older blonde took a step back and gulped and nodded mutely, as Nanoha who was snuggled into Fate laughed. Her Fate was very protective, she liked that. Alicia had never seen her sister like this and even though she had just threatened her girlfriend with bodily harm she had to smile. Fate was finally coming out of her shell and it was all thanks to Nanoha.

Nanoha wiggled a little against her warm lover and felt a lump in her pocket, frowning she pulled away and poked Fate's pocket, "What's that, it was digging into me."

Fate grinned like a mischievous child, "It's a secret."

Nanoha blushed scarlet, 'oh no not that again!'

Seeing the blush Fate kissed her then went down on one knee, "Nanoha, my angel, please accept me and my love for now and always."

She opened another jeweler's box and this time it displayed a pair of rings that were beyond perfect. Wispy vines of platinum entwined toward a lustrous marquise diamond with four beautiful gems embedded within the trellis like buds. One had sapphire buds and the other had rubies and it was clear who each had been designed for. Nanoha swallowed, today was way too much, she couldn't even speak at this point. She nodded tears in her eyes as Fate took one ring and slipped it on her finger. It was perfect. Taking the box she slid the other ring onto Fate's hand with shaking fingers before bursting out in tears and clutching the blonde to her.

It took a couple of moments for her to calm down again and then everyone wanted to see the rings and comment on how perfect they were for the pair. Even Shiro could see that Fate had gone well beyond what could be expected all to spoil his little girl and gave her a grudging nod of approval.

After everyone got to 'oh and ahh' and give and receive hugs they returned to the table and souvenirs were passed out and more noises of approval could be heard. It was late when the new officially engaged couple returned to the Takamachi house. Nanoha had decided she was going to drop the Scrya name as soon as possible, while Fate was contemplating just taking Nanoha's name when they married versus them hyphenating their names. She really would be happier with just Nanoha's name. Vivio was staying the night with her grandparents so they had the house to themselves.

Nanoha watched as Fate undressed for their shower, spell bound by the amazing paradox that was her lover. She could be painfully shy and reserved and a horrible tease who hadn't an inkling of bashfulness when it came to displaying her love. She had survived some of the worse abuse a person could suffer at another's hands and yet was perhaps the gentlest person she had ever met. Feeling Nanoha's eyes on her Fate turned to look at her with eyes so expressive they seemed to speak. Another paradox as she was a woman of few words but if you looked into her eyes you could learn volumes about her.

The blonde now naked smiled at her lover and asked, "Well are you going to join me or just watch?"

Nanoha groaned, "You are awful," but quickly disrobed and joined the blonde in the shower.

As Fate washed Nanoha couldn't help watching her body and thinking how beautiful she was, her scars becoming a strange mosaic telling the story of her hidden strength and unconquerable compassion. Reaching out she traced one of the scars on her side and trailed it as it came across her stomach. How would Fate's body look someday full of life? It would be a new paradox, a woman who would have been condemned to a horrible and lonely death at the hands of her mother becoming a loving and generous mother who would guide them to reach their greatest potential. Fate couldn't do less. Kissing Fate Nanoha sighed, here was the love and all the colors of life that she had dreamed of all her life.

They made love that night at first slow and gentle, showing each other tenderness beyond what they had shared before. Then Nanoha took the lead and teased her lover in revenge for her earlier teasing in the office and all her naughty tricks. It was well past midnight when they fell asleep but unlike the night before they slept soundly and when they awoke it was refreshed and ready for a glorious day.

~"~"~"~

Two weeks later

Fate and Nanoha were sitting at an open air café in the city center on a cooling Sunday afternoon. Fate was laughing at something Nanoha was saying. Her laughter now easy and free flowing when it was Nanoha with her. It was at that moment a red haired woman passing by stopped suddenly and turned around eyes wide. Looking at Fate she stared, the stare caught the blonde's attention and when her red eyes meet with bright blue eyes the other woman screamed her name. The red haired woman then rushed at her and pulled her into a bone crushing hug as she spoke rapid Italian at the blonde who was now freezing up in startlement. Pushing the woman away she spoke in Japanese not wanting to give this woman any more incentive to jump on her again.

"Look I don't know who you are, please stop touching me," she tried to be polite about it but the woman was hyperactive as a puppy.

The hurt in her eyes at this was clear, "You don't remember me? We were best friends growing up we shared the same crib, went to preschool together, painted together. You don't remember me? Fate where did you go? We worried about you, I think about you every day."

Then she reached into her purse and pulled out her wallet and showed her a photo of a red haired child playing with two blonde children but it was clear the red head was completely attached to the girl she was sitting closely to. Fate felt nausea creep up on her, the picture was from _before_. Pictures of that time usually made her feel ill as she had suppressed most of those memories in an effort to protect her mind and heart from being broke by her mother. She had held on to the colors of the world but had wiped out the people and faces of those who had abandoned her.

Turning away she said, "I'm sorry I don't know you, please just leave me alone."

Nanoha was worried by this interloper and got up and pulled her away from the red haired woman. Fate went willingly to her and clung tightly as she heard the next words the woman said, "We were best friends, I never forgot you Fate. I cried every night for weeks after you apparently moved away. I begged papa to search for you but he was scared of your mama."

Turning around she screamed, "Don't call her that! She is not my mama! She was…" suddenly Fate was heaving and memories of her mama before the accident came flooding back to her and she began to weep uncontrollably at the memories now cascading through her mind.

Nanoha pulled Fate up from her crouching position on the ground and glared at the woman before her, "Why couldn't you just leave her alone?"

"If she forgot you would you give up?" the woman asked coldly.

Nanoha was taken aback, 'Fate forget her? Never.' But that was what had happened with this woman. A crowd was now growing around them and Nanoha whispered into Fate's ear, "Love I'm going to take us home. Please follow me."

Fate tried but she stumbled and the red haired woman came up and helped support her. Her scent now close enough for Fate to breathe it in and she started crying harder as she said a name, "Arf?"

~"~"~"~

A/N2: Oooh is Arf a problem waiting to happen or something else? Hee hee she will play a big part in what comes next with the looming trouble but as an ally or foe we will have to see.

Love ya guys and will try to make one more update this weekend but no promises. Please review I need the warm fuzzies to keep me on track.


	11. Chapter 11: Memories

A/N: Hello again, got up at the butt crack of dawn Saturday and started writing this so I could possibly upload before my evening shift at my part-time job (failed), but just finished editing it this morning so here it is for your reading pleasure. I hope no one feels I rushed this chapter, I think I might have but I really don't want too much drama in this story or to drag out the pain. I want just enough to push the characters to show their fault-lines so the other can step in and help them through it.

~"~"~"~

Chapter Eleven: Memories

Fate was now grasping the red haired woman tightly and that made her smile, "So you remember your Lupo now?"

Fate groaned as her head ached further but said, "That was a stupid nickname when we were kids," then looking at the full figured woman, "it's even more inappropriate now."

The woman gave a barking laugh and Nanoha had to say that calling this woman a wolf was _very_ appropriate. Shifting so more of Fate's weight rested on her and not this new interloper she said, "Thanks for the help but Fate-chan needs to go home and rest. If you would like to give her your number she can contact you when she's feeling better," 'or never if I have my way.'

"My car is just around the corner I could give you a lift, it doesn't look like Lucciola will make it very far from here."

Fate twitched a smile at the old nickname, firefly, had she ever been a lively enough person to have deserved such a name? Nanoha was less amused; she began to reply in the negative in the most polite manner, "That's very kind of you…" when she was cut off.

"Thank you Arf, please...ah I'm really not up to much walking at the moment," Fate's tone was weary but did not sound wary which made Nanoha feel even more unnerved.

The woman smiled happily and with a quick, "Be right back," bounced off.

Fate watched her for a moment and closed her eyes, shaking her head she said, "It's weird, like I'm seeing her in double, she hasn't changed since we were kids."

"Fate-chan is this wise? She'll know where you live. What if she's some kind of stalker?" Nanoha tried to hide her growing frustration with the situation but Fate heard it in her tone.

"You don't like her?" it was both a question and a statement, why didn't Nanoha like Arf? She was so friendly, like a wolf pup.

"I don't like anyone who clings to you like she owns you and ignores my presence," Nanoha was suddenly angry, shouldn't Fate understand this?!

Tired burgundy eyes looked up at her, "She's a friend, Hayate hangs all over you but I don't mind, well I do but I know it doesn't mean anything."

"Fate you haven't seen this person in what? Over twenty years, how can you possibly know she is safe?!" Nanoha's voice was now tinged with fear and panic. 'I can't lose her, please don't let me lose her.'

Sensing there was more to this than the fact that she had trusted someone so easily but not quite sure what Fate decided to go back to her friend argument, "You hadn't seen Hayate and the others in what eight years but picked up right where you left off. You trusted they were still at their core the people you once loved and trusted. Why can't you give Arf the same benefit of the doubt?"

"This is not the same, she obviously has feelings for you!" there now she had said it and felt sick, now Fate would see she was a jealous possessive fool and hate her.

When she felt a hand cup her face she nearly broke down crying, but it was Fate's words that both soothed and anguished her soul, "I love you. Only you, from the moment we met I felt something special with you, a connection I never shared with anyone else before. Not even Arf. If you think I'm so shallow I could turn away from the best thing to happen to me on a whim then maybe you don't know me as well as I thought."

Holding Fate tightly and shaking, "I don't want to lose you. I couldn't stand it."

Sighing and hugging her back, "You won't. Mmmh, Nanoha is my life."

A car pulled up next to the curb and a window rolled down, "Hey hop into the back, I'll get you home in no time."

Arf was true to her word, the only other speed demon Nanoha knew that was worse was the one cuddled into her. Fate was quiet on the ride home. Laying with her head in Nanoha's lap with her eyes closed thinking, 'Why would Nanoha be worried about me leaving her? Surely she knows I love her, I tell her every day, many times in fact, I can't stop saying it.' Then the ugly realization hit her, 'Yuuno once said her loved her. Yuuno who in his selfishness had trapped her in a loveless marriage. Allowed her to be manipulated and used by his family. He never once stood up for her and then when he found someone new cheated on her. Bastard. He was the only other _romantic_ partner Nanoha had ever had, a worthless weasel who had corrupted the meaning of love.'

Fate turned into Nanoha and buried her face in her stomach and held her tightly. 'I can't let her hurt, she never lets me hurt, even if it means I have to let Arf go again.'

Upon arriving home the two women helped Fate into the house where Alicia was sitting on the couch reading. Seeing her sister she instantly dropped her book and knocked off her reading glasses to run over and help. "What happened to her?"

Then she blinked at the sight of the second woman and screamed, "Arf Alduino? What the hell happened to you? Shit you filled out!"

Fate had to roll her eyes at this pronouncement, snuggling once again into Nanoha's lap she said, "Keep it down for a little while please I need to rest, my head is killing me."

Nanoha stroked her head and asked, "Do want me to get you anything for it?"

Fate shook her head and held on tightly around Nanoha's waist and breathed her in, "I starting to feel better already, I just need you close."

Feeling some of the anxiety from earlier ease at that she smiled and gently soothed her fingers through Fate's long blonde hair. Arf seeing this smirked, "I see she is still a cuddle monster, be careful or you'll never get her out of your lap."

Smiling at the blonde in her lap she replied, "That's fine with me."

Alicia grabbed the busty woman's arm and dragged her to the dining room nearby but not so close that they would disturb Fate's rest. "My god, look at you all grown up. You look like your mama, and she was the prettiest woman in the village."

Arf snorted, "Still a flirt I see Alicia. My word you both grew up to be so beautiful. Um but forgive me for being nosy but the woman in there with Fate, that's her _girlfriend_ isn't it, we haven't been properly introduced and I think she's a bit pissed at me for jumping on Fate."

Alicia started laughing, "Then I'm surprised you're still alive, she's very possessive of Fate-chan. As for their relationship, they're engaged, recently too so she is use to all of Fate's attention being on her so any _distraction_ will be unwelcome no matter how mundane and honey you ain't mundane."

This set the woman off into giggling, "She shouldn't worry, I'm happily married, have been for a year. He's a sweetheart and a half. His family lives here so we're visiting and I had hoped to find you two but to run into Fate on the street like that was too amazing!"

"Aww cute little Arf is already off the market, such a sad world. Well you'll have to tell me all about him and I'll try to catch you up," Alicia replied with a cute pout before settling into a smile.

The pair spoke quietly but not so quietly that their voices didn't drift into the living room and much of the details of Arf's life relieved Nanoha's mind. As the giggling and jokes became more the topic of conversation Fate shifted and said quietly, "Do you trust her now or do I send her away?"

"Fate-chan, oh I'm sorry love. It's I just don't know what to do sometimes. I love you so much and it scares me to think someone could just walk up to you and steal you away from me," Nanoha's voice was soft and filled with emotion.

Fate shifted so she was now sitting up and pulled Nanoha onto her lap. Resting her head against her lover's chest she listened to her heart which was now beating a little too quickly. After a few moments Fate finally said, "I don't blame you for being scared, I am too. I wake up and see you next to me and I thank every deity I've ever heard of. I never thought I'd be this happy, love someone this much. Please believe me when I say this," squeezing Nanoha tightly, "you are what I want, no one and nothing will change that."

Nanoha squeezed her tightly in return and whispered, "Oh I really wish we were home alone right now so could just ravish you."

"Insatiable," Fate muttered teasingly eliciting a giggle from her lover.

Feeling better now that Nanoha was laughing again she nuzzled her and said, "Very soon we will be married and then we'll have our babies. The ultimate goal in my life from now on is making you happy, because when you're happy so am I."

The sapphire eyed woman smiled and nuzzled Fate back before feeling the smallest bit of the trepidation that was niggling at her mind come back. Feeling the shift in her lover's mood downward Fate asked, "What is it?"

"Do you think she is prettier than me? I know you checked her out," it wasn't said with recrimination but with sadness.

"I looked at her love, I didn't check her out. I don't know how to check someone out. I know when someone is physically attractive based on social standards but 99.99% of the time I don't feel a thing for them. The only time I have is with you. Now as to who is prettier, that's easy, No One is prettier than my Nanoha," Fate said placing a kiss on her neck.

The auburn haired woman looked down at her lover and saw complete honesty in her eyes. The last of her fears relieved she pressed a kiss to her lips and apologized again, "I thought I would be the one having to reassure you all the time but you seem to spend more time reassuring me. I'm sorry I'm such an idiot over the stupidest things."

"No love, you're not an idiot or being stupid. Truth to tell I was scared when Hayate and the others came back into your life too. I thought you wouldn't need me anymore. I'm a pretty boring person and they are so lively and you have a shared history. I kept thinking why would you need someone like me, a person who flinches and hesitates all the time."

"You're mine Fate Testarossa, no matter your flaws, I love you with everything I am. It just seems strange to me that you could feel the same way sometimes. You shower me with love but I am just waiting for something to ruin all this."

"I feel the same way; I love you, flaws and all, with every fiber of my being. And I just don't see how you could possibly want someone as beaten up as me but then I remember how you are with me in our bed and well there isn't much room for doubt after that," Fate replied unable to resist teasing at the end.

"Bad Fate-chan, you are so bad," Nanoha said with a smile and pressed a kiss on her nose.

Shifting the blonde captured her lover's lips and drank her in. The pair was well on their way to a hot make-out session when there was a cough. Without breaking the kiss Fate picked up a pillow and threw it at what she thought was her sister but the barking laugh that came in reply was a shock. Pulling apart the pair saw it was Arf and she was grinning like mad at them, "I see Fate is just as dedicated to her pursuits as she was as a child. But really you should look before you start throwing things, that was more Alicia's forte."

Blushing like mad Nanoha hid her face in Fate's neck but the blonde rallied, "And I see you are still a nosy puppy who can't leave things well enough alone."

The pair laughed relieving some of the tension in the room. Fate then nudged Nanoha out of her neck and said, "Nanoha please meet my best friend growing up Arf Alduino, her mama use to take care of us when papa was painting and um our mother was at work. Arf this is Takamachi Nanoha my fiancée."

"Hmm it's very nice to meet you Nanoha-san but the name is now Arf Wolkenritter."

Three women exclaimed, "What!"

It was then discovered Arf was married to Hayate's cousin and was actually staying with the little brunette with her husband for a week visiting her new relation. Arf then went into greater detail on what she had been doing with herself since they had all been separated so many years ago.

"I finished school with fairly good grades and had to decide what to do, I knew you all had gone to Japan that was all over the village so I made it my goal to get here someday. But you remember my family wasn't the richest one there was so I knew college was out. I knocked around a few jobs but was always getting into some kind of mess because of my hyperactivity and um nosiness. That's when papa said if I wanted to find you both and earn a living where being snoopy wasn't a crime I should join the police. I did and moved up the ranks pretty quickly too if I may say so, thanks to my hyperactivity I can take down most men and that earned me a lot of respect. I just made captain before I got married, and now work in missing persons as a lead investigator. After you all disappeared it hurt a lot and I never want anyone else to suffer that.

"It was shortly after I joined the force that I began researching both your names and crossed with your date of birth I found quite a bit. The whole village had followed the trial for your...um for Precia so that stuff wasn't useful. It was the foreign news that peaked my interest, there was so much of it about both of but I had to learn Japanese to read any of it, and that took some time I'll tell you. I pissed off so many tutors, no one seemed to have the patience to deal with me until I met Zafira, he was my tutor and I fell hard for him fast. He read through some of the articles with me and noticed a lot of them centered around the city his cousin lived in. He decided to bring me to visit as an anniversary present in hopes that his cousin could help or I'd just get lucky and stumble upon you.

"In the end it seems both scenarios worked out. Hayate has been walking around with a weird smile all morning after I told her about my search. I have a feeling she was just waiting to arrange a meeting and surprise us all. No offense Nanoha-san but your friend is nuts."

Nanoha sighed but didn't argue and the twin sisters just nodded their agreement.

The next few days were quite enjoyable as the couple and Fate's old friend bonded. Nanoha found herself liking the overactive woman a great deal as it was clear she was just the matching bookend to Alicia when it came to supporting Fate. She teased and hugged her yes but there was a warm sisterly nature to it all that killed the nascent jealousy she had been feeling. Of course it didn't hurt that Arf had trudged in nearly a quarter ton's worth of photos of baby, toddler and preschool aged Fate with her and happily shared them with her.

Nanoha was flipping through them in bed Thursday night with a silly smile on her face when her blonde lover reached out and snatched them from her grip. Giving her a dry look in response to her pouting shout of dismay Fate said, "Less attention on these and more on me please. As much as I love looking at pictures of you as a baby and child I much rather spend time with the real thing."

At first Nanoha wanted to argue but couldn't when she heard the slightest bit of loneliness in her lover's voice. Reaching out for Fate she said, "I like pictures but they'll never replace my Fate-chan, like you I prefer the real thing. Now come here and snuggle with me."

~"~"~"~

It was Friday and the large group of friends and family had joined once again at Midori-ya Café, it wasn't closed this time but the reserved room for parties had been closed off for them. Joking and teasing could be heard and lots of laughter. Arisa was finding it hard to deal with Arf. The woman was an evil combination of Hayate and Alicia in her mind making her want to smack the woman hard. Suzuka had her hands full keeping Alisa inline though she did seem to enjoy it as it gave her an excuse to keep her feisty blonde tightly clutched to her.

The group had taken the day off as it was the last day Arf and Zafira would be in town and they wanted to enjoy it fully together. It was during this luncheon that the other shoe finally dropped. An official looking person was led into the room and said formally, "Takamachi Momoko Nanoha."

Nanoha stood up both scared of the official nature of the person but pleased the name Scrya was officially removed from her address, "That's me."

He handed her a thick envelope, "You have been served," then turned on his heel and left.

Nanoha looked at the official looking bundle and with a shaking hand she opened it. Reading the coversheet she understood instantly what was happening. Granscenic had run home to aunty and cried alright and this was all a ploy to save face, to make her squirm and her remember her place in the hierarchy. Nanoha knew she was now going to have to jump through so many hoops to restore that foolish man's pride or risk losing her daughter. It was all going to be so humiliating and painful.

Fate took the packet from her and read them through feeling her blood pressure raise through the roof. No way was that foul woman going to get away with this. Nanoha wasn't her plaything anymore.

Swallowing her anger she said, "We'll fight this. This _woman_ doesn't know what she is getting into now. I won't stand for this, Vivio is your daughter and no one takes her from you. Especially not as a ploy to make you bow your head a worthless piece of…ah...huff…that man."

Eyes wide at this she pleaded, "Fate-chan don't, she'll just drag you down with me. She has no shame, she'll use anything she can to discredit a person and I don't want you hurt by this."

Looking at her lover with a set jaw Fate replied, "She hurts you she hurts me, when I asked you to marry me I pledged to love, honor and protect you. If I just let this happen I will be breaking my vow, is that what you want?"

Scared and now panicking she retorted in hopes of making Fate back down, "So what, it's either let you play knight in shining armor or you leave me? I can handle this on my own."

Angry and hurt at the refusal Fate vented, "Like you handled it when you were seventeen, by letting her dump all over you. I won't stand for it, you will not be treated in such a fashion. You will not bow your head to that woman or her nephew. You spent nearly a decade as their pawn and I will not see you fall back into their grasp because of something I did. I broke his pathetic wrist, I made him piss himself like the coward dog he is and _I_ will send them all packing. You are my fiancée and will not let anyone hurt you, especially not because of me."

Shiro was shocked, Fate had never shown so much emotion, or so much fierce protectiveness, in front of him. Putting his hand on his daughter's shoulder he said, "Nanoha, listen to Fate-chan. Accept her help, if you really mean to share your life with her you have to share both the good and the bad. You don't get to pick and choose, if Fate was in trouble would you want her to push you away?"

"But daddy you know what this woman is, what she is capable of. What if, what if she makes Fate-chan hate me?" she was crying now.

Fate sighed, "Nanoha you seemed so hung up on the idea that I could ever learn to hate you. Do you think I am my mother? Do you think I will turn against you like Quattro? I know what it is to be left alone by the people who love you and then have to suffer alone. I won't let that happen to you. Not again. Your parents let you enter your marriage because they thought you really cared for Yuuno and would have a family with him. Instead all you received was heartbreak. The Scrya family did as much damage to you as my mother did to me, it's just your scars aren't plain to see. I trust you with my pain, please love, trust me with yours."

Nanoha was sobbing against her father's chest and was shocked when he pushed her away and placed her in Fate's arms. "You have to trust her now baby girl. I failed you, but I know she won't."

Fate held her tightly and kissed her forehead, whispering she said, "I love you. You are better than those people, nothing they can say or do is going to take me away from you, I promise."

"I don't know if I can do this. I'm just so use to doing what they want, it was just so much easier that way, less painful. After the marriage I had nothing, no one to turn to, they took me away from everyone I knew and loved and made me feel so ashamed. Fate, what if they start digging into your past, can you deal with people knowing about it? People poking into your secrets just so they can get to me."

"I told you before I am not ashamed of what happened to me. If they want to go down that road let them, I have nothing to hide. Nanoha you have to understand, Alicia and I have a lot of connections. We don't like using them normally but in the lines of work we are in we mingle with the rich and powerful. If that woman has any enemies, and I am sure she does, I am sure we will find them and find her secrets. If she wants to play with fire she'll get burned."

"Damn straight," Arf said then with a canine smile she said, "Let me make some calls, I have a few friends at Interpol who might be interested in a little _moonlighting_."

~"~"~"~

Even though Arf had left Japan she didn't forget her promise to help and everyday new information about the business dealing of the Scrya family poured in. A lot of things they had done had skirted then leaped right over legality for years, they presented themselves as philanthropists but in reality they ran charities that ended up putting 40% or more of the money right back in their pockets via kickbacks and dummy businesses while the rest went to earning them the gratitude of certain less reputable establishments who helped them keep competitors out of their markets. As the evidence that spanned five countries came together it was clear tax evasion and irregularities with them paying shipping tariffs could be added to their crimes.

It was ten days into the thirty days before the court hearing to determine Nanoha continued fitness to retain Vivio and suddenly the pressure was being put on, but not on Nanoha, they were targeting on her lover. An anonymous letter came with a small bundle of newspaper clippings, Fate flipped through them, she had copies of all of them upstairs, nothing new, nothing she had the slightest worry about others discovering. She dropped the letter on the table and went back to reading through some documents she had received from a contact in the U.S., the Scrya matriarch was not going to be welcomed back there anytime soon, except perhaps with handcuffs.

It annoyed Fate that people like this could get away with it because they had paid off just the right people. But now all the chickens were coming home to roost, Noriko Scrya and her brood had just picked on the wrong person one too many times. Adding the documents to a dossier which would be sent to another contact very shortly where it would be the final nail that shut down their ability to conduct illegal and wholly unethical crimes in another country. Soon they would be forced back to their home country and once back in Japan Fate's favorite law official was going to get a very big break on scooping them up.

Nanoha came in and saw the envelope and thinking it was new information on the Scryas went through it and gasped. Looking at the calmly sedate blonde working on protecting her she had to wonder if this had shaken her nerves.

Taking a deep breath she was about to speak when Fate beat her too it, "I have copies of all those articles already Nanoha, and a few more with more graphic descriptions of what was done to me upstairs. You are welcome to read them if you like. I blocked out most of what happened to me, didn't speak for months after I was recovered from my mother. I only really trusted Alicia, I couldn't stand anyone but her being near me for a very long time. When we got into our teens I began to get curious about what had happened, why it had happened and started my own investigation.

"My medical records alone can make you lose your lunch. My mother's trial was pretty well documented, she was famous for her work in biochemistry, one of the foremost minds. When she fell off the map people wondered why and then they found out. Finding out anything about before her descent into madness was a lot harder to find. Father didn't like speaking about her and it was only after her death that we received her personal effects. Father locked them away but after he died I finally got access to them. Journals and photos and I actually could read in her own hand her paranoia growing. I never had a chance. If Alicia had forgotten me I'd be dead.

"If this Noriko woman thinks she can shake me with details of my past she is very wrong. I faced those demons long ago, I just choose not to share my pain with anyone. Of the few that do know I had almost no say in telling them. Alicia knows because she saved me, I could never hide it from her. Einhart knows because her mother told her, the woman lived with the shame of knowing her sister had become a monster. Chrono and the rest of the Harlaowns know because my father told them, made them pity me in a way. Shario and her assistants know because I made the mistake of thinking I could trust one person outside of my extended family. I got burnt badly by Quattro and many people learned my secret, most that heard the rumors, thanks to Alicia, think it's just that, a rumor and forgot about it and moved on. But it was that incident more than anything else that made me shut myself off from others. I didn't want people judging me, looking down on me and calling me broken. I got enough of that from my father and Clyde, it was always poor little Fate will never have a life of her own so we need to arrange it for her. I let them, I almost let them, I pushed them away just so Chrono could have his happiness and I could at least earn a small piece of dignity even amongst my shame at having contemplated letting them do it. I never wanted to be someone's burden, a charity case, pitied.

"If you can understand this Nanoha, please don't push me again about giving up on protecting you and Vivio. The people I love deserve that much from me. I fought with myself over whether I could trust you, please don't make me regret that I chose to by pushing me away over this."

Nanoha placed her hand on Fate's shoulder and said, "I don't want to be a burden either, or charity case and especially not pitied. If that's why you're doing this then I don't want it."

Fate looked at her with eyes dark with ancient pain and pulled her in, "No love, it's none of those things. I am doing this because I love you, just like Alicia loved me as children. She saw something was wrong and fought with our father for three years. If I have to fight that long or more to free you from this I will. Because I love you and don't want you hurting."

Tears fell as Nanoha closed her eyes and hugged her fiancée, "I really don't know what I did to deserve you. But I am going to hold on to you for the rest of my life."

Fate smiled at that and pulled her down into her lap. They sat holding each other for a long while until they heard their family return to the house. Kissing softly then pulling away they sat together and read through more documents and Nanoha had to admit, fighting back with Fate by her side felt a hell of a lot better than bowing to Noriko even if it was terrifying.

~"~"~"~

Fifteen days till the hearing and U.S. law enforcement officials presented a warrant to search and seize documents at the offices of the Scrya family business on their shores. The results were charges for embezzlement, fraud and tax evasion with possibly many more pending. The Scrya matriarch fumed as two of her nephews were taken into custody. Two days later law enforcement officials in Great Britain also served them with a warrant and found the family in the process of destroying documents. Noriko's only surviving child, a daughter, and another nephew were immediately taken into custody and charged with spoliation of evidence and then the officials really began to turn the screws. The next day France took a very big bite out of the Scrya family only for Germany to move in on them at midnight shutting down their European influence completely. The few members of the family able to escape the dragnet came flooding home to Japan to hide behind the one woman who had always masterminded their endeavors.

There was only eight days left until the custody hearing but Noriko no longer cared about that she was scrambling to save the family from total destruction, somehow someone had discovered their secrets and actually got them into the hands of competent and unbribable officials. The hammer was looming over their heads and she had no clue how it had occurred. When an anonymous letter was received all it said was, "You should have left her alone."

Hours later the door to the house was broken down and the broken old woman seated behind a desk clutching the paper was carted away. Noriko Scrya and her brood had gone out not with a bang but with a very quiet and pathetic whimper. The papers were filled with their crimes and there was iron clad proof of it all. The granny kingpin was going away for a very long time.

When Fate called down to the courthouse three days later to ask if the custody hearing was still scheduled they had her hold, thirty minutes later someone came back on and said the whole thing was dismissed. Fate had to restrain a smile as she thanked them for their time.

Nanoha was watching Fate's face but it was unreadable, after the blonde hung up she asked, "Well?"

"No more hearing, it's been dismissed. Apparently there are no more high and mighty Scryas left to take custody away from you. So I guess we're stuck with the hyperactive ball of fluff," she said with a smug smile.

Nanoha closed her eyes smiling and releasing a long breath and all her tension from the past weeks. Opening her eyes again she said, "You are amazing."

Fate looked at her with warm loving eyes, "I believe you've told me that on more than a few occasions now."

"Well remind me to tell you again tonight. Thank you, I can't even begin to tell you how much this means to me," her eyes were bright with relief and happiness.

"I have a fair idea, but I won't complain if you choose to show me a little appreciation when we get home," Fate teased.

Kissing (and other things) in the office was technically a no-no but right now Nanoha had to kiss her. The hot kiss was about to escalate when the door opened and their boss walked in. Their engagement wasn't exactly a secret but they hadn't exactly informed anyone in the office either. The matching rings the women now wore had started a rumor but nothing concrete had been determined.

Yanagi seeing his two best designers kissing was slightly disturbed as this now added a new problem to his list of issues he needed to discuss with the pair. He was use to them being professional so this was not how he thought he'd find them. Clearing his throat the two women broke apart and blushed scarlet at being caught. The older man raised an eyebrow and stepped into the office to speak to his two favorite ladies hoping he wasn't going to have to do anything that would hurt either of them.

~"~"~"~

A/N2: Now I could have dragged out the Scrya thing further but I think I'll be wrapping up this story soon. Definitely will write a couple more chapters to get to the marriage and babies but I didn't want this to be a repeat of my prior story where the characters actually had to physically fight. This was more about the emotional journey of trusting each other and learning to depend on each other.

So now the question is, how much trouble are they in for smooching at work and what does their boss want?

P.S. Sad to say this but I probably won't update again until the end of the week, got lots to do and the hubby won't let me hide out in the house any longer writing, spoilsport. Love ya guys, and as always the puppy begs and rolls over pleading for reviews. Come on, the tummy is all exposed and the tail is wagging, just click below and drop me a line.


	12. Chapter 12: The Last Fears

A/N: Bit of an emotionally heavy chapter but I think it was time both characters came clean with all their hidden hurts. Fate has had a lot longer to deal with her pain and had the support of her sister and Einhart but has never shared it outside of them so she needs to do this to solidify her relationship with Nanoha. Nanoha is a bit of a whiny baby I admit but emotional abuse is just as bad as physical abuse and can weaken a person at their core and it takes a lot to help and time for a person to overcome this. Fate knows this and is very supportive, she sees in Nanoha a lot of herself but without her social skills issues. These two mesh so well because they know how to support the other when they are weak and bring out the best in each other.

Disclaimer: I do not own the MGLN universe, no claim of ownership being made. I make no profit from this story.

~"~"~"~

Chapter Twelve: The Last Fears

Yanagi looked at the two women before him and cleared his throat, "Ahem, Ladies I was hoping for a moment of your time. It seems we have much to discuss."

The older man then closed the door behind him and walked to Fate's desk and pulled up a seat in front of it, the two women shook themselves from their shock and rearranged their chairs so they could face their boss head on. Fate wanted to speak but felt tongue tied, how do you apologize for doing something you didn't regret doing?

Yanagi use to Fate's quiet nature and rather amused by Nanoha's newly revealed bashful nature had to restrain a smile, he had suspected something was going on between them for a while. He just hoped this wasn't some flight of fancy on Nanoha's part as Fate would be devastated if the woman was playing her affections. Hands templed he began, "I have had a number of rather unusual and in some cases disturbing rumors and innuendo brought to me regarding the pair of you and I must have them addressed before they become a problem. Let us address the most obvious one first, what is the current nature of your relationship?"

The pair looked at each other and the softness in their glance relieved his mind, this wasn't a whim or fling, there was real feeling between them. When they turned back to him he saw they were now holding hands, Nanoha's clearly displaying her new ring. Swallowing her nerves Fate said, "We're engaged. We plan to marry at Christmas. I am sorry for not reporting this to you sir but we are still getting use to the idea ourselves and wanted to enjoy it without people poking their noses into it."

"When did this occur may I ask?" he asked genuinely curious and a bit hurt they hadn't at least shared the news with him in private.

"Shortly after we returned from France, Fate-chan wanted to speak to my father," Nanoha replied.

"Didn't really want to dear, just knew I had to," Fate muttered under her breathe.

Yanagi coughed to cover a laugh at that, he had met the formidable Takamachi Shiro in passing and didn't blame the woman for not having looked forward to that meeting.

"Ah well congratulations on that, it relieves my mind and I'm sure it will also relieve many others to know this relationship is of a serious nature. Fate-san has had _issues_ with working with others and making friends, it was greatly feared she would be hurt if ah… well if you Nanoha-san found out about some of the more unusual aspects of her nature and rejected her," he replied delicately.

Fate frowned, "What do you mean by that sir?"

"I thoroughly investigate every potential employee Fate-san, I have knowledge of what occurred in your childhood and I must say I am proud of you. You may have issues with dealing with others in some ways but you have never let your past be a hindrance to pursuing your goals. Many questioned why I have retained you on the staff despite not being able to find a viable partner for you for so long. I pointed out you were talented and responsible enough to handle the work alone until the right person came along, and I have been proven right," the older man replied with kind eyes looking upon his favorite employee.

"I…I wasn't aware you knew about my past. You never said anything," Fate said startled.

Smiling gently he said, "Neither did you. Your personal life is your own, but if you ever wish to speak to me regarding any matter my door is always open. I had hoped over time you would come to trust me."

The pink tint to Fate's cheeks made her seem very young for a moment, "I do sir. You have been very kind and understanding, beyond what I could ever expect in an employer. If not for you I may have left the company many years ago, what with my issues with some of the others here."

This revelation made the graying man smile for a moment before he went serious again, "Well your work and dedication has always been exemplary, I just hope with the changes in your life that will continue. I cannot stress enough the need for the two of you to maintain a high level of professionalism in the office. There are many who would try to use your relationship against you and force my hand to try and terminate the both of you."

The women gave him a troubled look but he forestalled them, sighing he clarified his position, "You two have a lock on your door, I will leave it for now. If I or a client comes to the door and find it locked and are not promptly greeted by you in a professional manner I will be forced to remove it. If you are caught doing anything inappropriate in this office I will be forced to find new partners for the pair of you. Please do not force me to do that, you two have the best partnership I have ever seen in the thirty-five years I have been in this business. But this company cannot afford to have a scandal and there are many would try to turn what should be seen as a normal relationship into something perverse."

Fate worried because she knew there would be times she wouldn't be able to resist kissing her future wife asked, "What would you consider inappropriate? The company has other married couples working here and I have seen them exchange small kisses and hugs, sometimes in view of clients. If we are not to be afforded the same standard then it maybe best we leave now before causing issues down the line. I refuse to be held to a double standard on this. Nanoha will be my wife and if I can't at least give her a kiss or hug when we are happy at an accomplishment then what would be the point of us working for that kind of company?"

Rubbing his brow Yanagi sighed, "Please be restrained, the kiss I witnessed earlier would be pushing the bounds of propriety. If you wouldn't do it in front of your grandmother don't do it here."

Nanoha had only vague memories of her grandparents and blushed at the thought of either of the old women having seen their earlier kiss. She could remember her Takamachi grandmother smacking her parents for their lovey-dovey nature. More decorum was expected at least from that side of the family. Her mother's mother had been a little more lenient but was of the opinion such things should remain behind closed doors.

Fate never knew either of her grandmothers but had a good idea of what Yanagi was saying as she had dealt with enough fussy old women in her line of work. She had to admit the few signs of PDA she had seen in the office were definitely a few levels lower on the totem pole than what she and Nanoha had just been exchanging. Nodding she agreed to this and Nanoha still a bit pink nodded her agreement also.

Shifting in his chair Yanagi now had to move on to another uncomfortable topic, looking at Nanoha with worried eyes he asked, "Nanoha-san, I noted recently you dropped your late husband's name. I won't ask why as I am sure there were a multitude of reasons. My concern is the Scrya family's recent legal issues which have been in the news lately. From what I know of you I don't expect you to have been entangled in their illicit affairs but I do need to ask if there will be any negative repercussions to you from these events."

Blinking back surprise that the elder gentleman would just automatically assume her innocence, but thankful for it, she said, "No sir. I was having some issues with them prior to this but all that has been resolved in my favor. I hope to stay clear of the whole situation. My former mother-in-law was a difficult woman to deal with and her fall from grace is not at all shocking to me. I just wish it had happened sooner, maybe…well it doesn't matter anymore."

"So everything with your daughter has been resolved? I was worried when I was notified of a custody hearing being scheduled. I'm not sure you were aware that my granddaughter goes to school with her, she informed me your daughter is quite popular and would be sadly missed if things went against you. I looked into the matter further and came to understand there was some concern she was going to be removed from your custody given some issues occurring during your recent trip. Issues neither of you choose to relate to me," he pointedly said to the now guilty looking women.

"Um well, those little matters were cleared up with such little fuss we didn't want to bother you with them," Fate said in hopes of downplaying the events.

Squinting at this obvious hedging he said flatly, "Fate-san the fact that Numeri Quattro was involved in one of the incidents strikes me as there having been quite a big fuss. Especially seeing as Nanoha-san now has a Official Warning with the university thanks to her intervention in whatever occurred between you. The woman should be arrested for falsifying her credentials. I have had to turn her away nearly a dozen times from this company. I am not sure why but she seems to be fixated on you, I would recommend you warn your other patrons of her behavior lest you end up working with her.

"As for the Granscenic incident where you were actually charged with a misdemeanor and paid a fine, if not for the fact he is now currently in custody for far more serious crimes, this omission might have led to your termination. We expect the highest level of professionalism and decorum from our employees and while you both were well within your rights in defending yourselves the fact remains there are now official records of these indiscretions. Not only that you also failed to mention it which could have been enough for some to demand your termination. I know you, I know you are not a violent woman and circumstances most likely forced your hand in the matter but if anything like that happens again in the future you are to report it to me immediately, understood?" in the end there was no room for argument left in the old man's tone.

Looking down at her lap Fate guiltily she said softly, "Yes sir."

Nanoha looked from Fate to their boss worriedly and wished she could take all the blame but knew opening that can of worms would likely make things worse so just bowed her head and said quietly, "Yes sir."

"I do not like being kept in the dark about things of a serious nature involving my employees. I respect your right to have a private life but if anything happens that could result in negative repercussions for this company I want to know. Over the years Fate-san I have come to greatly respect you. I would hate to have to do anything that would hurt you or to have to terminate you. It would be the equivalent of shooting oneself in the foot, of no benefit to me and a detriment to this company," he said conclusively.

Sighing and rubbing his hands together he said in a much more jovial tone after that near reprimand, "Well ladies I think that settles everything. I will not force you to submit your good news to the company newsletter but would highly recommend it as it will disperse the information in a controlled manner. Now I will leave you to your work. Excuse me."

Fate stood up with the elder gentleman and came around the desk. Bowing her head she said, "Thank you sir, for all your consideration and please accept my apology for failing to see how our actions put you in such a poor position. We will be more mindful in the future," looking up with earnest eyes she then continued, "When we finally decide on a date it would please us both greatly if you would attend our wedding."

Grinning at this the Yanagi nodded and said, "It would be _my_ pleasure."

Then Fate did something she had never done before, she hugged him as she muttered, "Thank you," once more.

Eyes a bit moist at this the old man patted her back and pulled away trying to maintain a more stoic facade but failing miserably he said in a rather gruff voice, "Well excuse me now ladies. Remember my door is always open."

Then he walked out with his back straight with a thoughtful look on his face, Nanoha may not know it but she had wrought miracles.

~"~"~"~

Fate was rubbing her temples and trying not to give into the temptation of crawling under the table to escape this farce of a meeting. Her sister, cousin, fiancée, her mother, sister, daughter and _idiot_ best friend were all going through wedding magazines and arguing over things she had never even heard of before, what was the point of a china pattern? As far as she was concerned two dresses and someone to officiate was all she could see needing but then again she would not short change her bride. If Nanoha wanted something grand and lavish she wouldn't say no to anything. The only thing was her future bride was now being ignored by her best friend and relations, and this was becoming more about what they thought would be _their_ own dream wedding.

Nanoha looked at her fiancée and worried, Fate looked like she was about to bolt, leaving her here to try (and fail) to wrangle some kind of accord. Stretching she said innocently, "I am getting a bit thirsty, I'm going to make some tea."

Fate looked up and saw the look in Nanoha's eyes that said, 'Come with me.'

Sitting up Fate said, "I'll help, I could do with a chance to stretch my back."

The pair was pretty much ignored as Hayate and Momoko were now arguing over flower arrangements. Alicia watched them go with a smirk thinking, 'You two are going to be in so much trouble when Momo-chan catches you later but good on you, run while you still can!'

As soon as the pair made it into the kitchen Nanoha poked Fate in the stomach, "You were ready to bolt and leave me with them weren't you?"

Fate pulled her in and kissed her ear before saying, "I was ready to bolt but not without you. Can I just say your mom and Hayate are nuts, love them to pieces but by all the gods in heaven this is our wedding not theirs. You should be making the decisions."

Nanoha pulled away at the last and said, " _We_ need to be making the decisions."

"Well I vote we run off and elope, they're driving me mad, besides it'll be quicker," Fate said with a teasing smile.

"Don't tempt me," Nanoha replied as she leaned back into her fiancée.

"What do you say we sneak out the back door and hide from them for the rest of the weekend? If I hear one more argument over color schemes and place settings I really will bodily fling Hayate out a window. Even Rein refuses to come to these meetings now because of how she becomes a complete dictator. I fear for when they finally decide to tie the knot, Hayate has bridezilla written all over her."

Nanoha smiled at this and asked seductively, "And just what would Fate-chan have in mind for keeping me _entertained_ all weekend?"

Kissing Nanoha's neck she said breathing on the sensitive skin, "I have a few ideas."

Less than a minute later the pair was gone. They were in so much trouble but neither cared.

When they resurfaced late Sunday night it was to an amused Alicia sitting on the couch reading, when the pair _snuck_ in she laughed as they tried to creep pass her on the couch. In a sing-song voice she said, "Somebody's in trouble!"

Nanoha froze on the step and turning asked, "How bad is it?"

"Your mama is so _disappointed_ in you two for running off. She plans on tying you two down next time. Don't know why she'd bother when she is planning her dream wedding anyway, I think she's forgotten who all this is actually for. Poor little NanoFate is going to have to suffer even more now, but you did bring it on yourselves by running away," she said with mock sorrow.

Fate walked over to her sister and said, "When it's your turn I'll remember this and let Carim ride you as hard as she wants," then smirking she leaned over to whisper, "Not that she's not already."

Alicia turned scarlet and jabbered, "Fa-fa-fate? You little pervert what did you do with my baby sister? I blame Nanoha for corrupting you!"

Fate snorted, "Since puberty you've talk that way in front of me, did you really think I wouldn't have learned anything? Remember dear sister what goes around comes around."

Smirking at her flabbergasted sister she turned on her heel to return to the stairs to herd the still worried looking Nanoha upstairs and to a good night's sleep before work.

Looking at the blonde with worried eyes as she climbed into the bed she asked, "Do you really think my mom is angry with us?"

Fate huffed, "At this point Nanoha I really don't care. This is our wedding and while I'm happy you are sharing this experience with her, she and Hayate-chan need to realize this is about making you happy not them. I am not going to let them hijack your special day."

Nanoha's brow furrowed at this and Fate seeing this asked, "What is it?"

"This is supposed to be _our_ special day, not just mine. You do think it's going to be special Fate-chan?" she asked fearfully.

Fate's eyes took in the fear and wondered at it, cupping Nanoha's face she said, "It's going to be the best day of my life. I think the only thing that will ever come close will be when we have our children."

This made Nanoha smile and kiss Fate hard with happiness but as she settled down to sleep she began to feel anxious over the fact Fate didn't seem to want to contribute to the decisions regarding their wedding ceremony. It was beginning to feel a little like her first wedding, Yuuno hadn't made a single contribution but then again neither had she. As happy as Fate defending her right to make decisions made her she just wished the blonde was taking more of an interest in this. If she was so excited over their upcoming nuptials surely she should have some ideas on what she wanted?

~"~"~"~

Returning to work after the news had spread about their engagement was interesting. Most accepted it as they had suspected something was going on for a while but a small group thought this was a perfect excuse to further abuse Fate for her freakishness. In particular there were two who thought Fate needed to be terminated for not having chosen them instead. Having ignored her coworkers' amorous attentions for years Fate found ignoring their abusive correspondence just as easy to ignore. It was only when they began to attack Nanoha in the anonymous hate mail that she began to get angry. Taking the documents to Yanagi was embarrassing but necessary, she trusted him to handle this otherwise there would be blood on the walls, no one disrespected her lover.

Looking over the documents he was angry, he knew there had been ongoing abuse heaped on Fate from certain people and had tried to stifle it whenever he had proof. Yet here were the worst examples of sexual harassment he had ever been presented with. Fate sat quietly in her chair and said nothing, her temper was too close to exploding. Yanagi knew he had to ask as Fate always hid her problems with others before.

Placing the documents down he asked in a patient voice, "How long has this been going on?"

"I just got this yesterday before the end of business, "Fate said with her teeth clenched.

Yanagi shook his head, "Fate-san, we both know this kind of behavior has been going on longer than that. I also can presume the only reason I'm being presented with this offensive material is because it concerns Nanoha-san. If you had just brought all the evidence to me before I could have addressed this before they had time to target your fiancée."

"So this is my fault?!" Fate growled angrily back at her boss.

The older man blinked at the unprecedented behavior, he had never seen this side of her before. Here was the woman who had broken a man's wrist. Here was the woman who most certainly had a hand in destroying the Scrya family. It was remarkable how much Nanoha had effected Fate, the quietly passive shadow being was now becoming a fierce protector.

Sighing sadly he said, "No, I would never blame you for this Fate-san. These people are already pushing their luck within this company. If I had had solid evidence at last review I would never renewed their contracts. Now that I have these I will hold a disciplinary hearing and hopefully by the end of the week we can finally be rid of these foul people. These things are not signed so I will have to show proof that they could be the perpetrators, luckily Niijima-san's artwork is easily identifiable, as for Odaira-san it will take a bit more work to have her dismissed but I think I can if you are willing to speak out."

The blonde frowned, she didn't want to deal with these people in anyway but they dared to involve Nanoha in their disgusting exploits. She nodded then said quietly, "Just keep this quiet please, I don't want Nanoha bothered by this."

Little did Fate know Nanoha was already dealing with the most recent delivery of offensive material. Opening Fate's interoffice mail looking for the newest apprentice submissions needing approval she found a disgusting rendition of the pair of them engaged in sex and felt anger flood her. Fate had been quieter than normal when reading the mail the past few days, now she knew why. Recognizing the artwork style Nanoha walked out of the office and opened the office door of one Odaira Kana, Nanoha's dark aura was enough to make the woman suddenly regret her stupidity.

Carefully laying down the offensive document on the woman's desk she said in a dangerously soft voice, "Very _interesting_ work you submitted to Fate-chan for approval but I really don't think it will be acceptable. Perhaps we should discuss this submission privately after work? I feel there is something you need to get off your chest and I am just dying to hear your reasons for this."

"It...it was just a joke," the woman said hesitantly.

Nanoha's eyes seemed to glow with anger, "A joke? I pride myself on having a very broad sense of humor but this is _not_ funny. I am pretty sure no one else will find this funny either. Get up. We are going to see Yanagi-san now!"

Barely suppressing her urge to throttle the woman she followed behind while clutching the offensive document in her fist. The woman walked as quickly as she could to their superior's office, anything would be better than the cold death glare she was receiving from the frightening woman behind her. Knocking on the door and not waiting for a response she opened the door only to see Fate already in the office with Yanagi and knew her career was over. Fate had never gone to Yanagi regarding her _submissions_ before, it appeared including Nanoha in them was the straw that broke the camel's back.

Nanoha saw the other drawings on Yanagi's desk and the fact they involved both of them made her feel ill. How long had Fate been dealing with this? Remembering her first day on the job and the offensive work submitted she felt guilty, she shouldn't have destroyed that work, she should have taken it straight to Yanagi.

Yanagi seeing the crumpled paper in Nanoha's hand and the terrified look on Odaira's face he instantly knew the foolish woman had just signed her own termination slip.

Reaching out Yanagi said, "If I may see this newest submission," taking it from Nanoha's shaking hand he recognized how angry and upset she was. Calmly he said, "Takamachi-san, Testarossa-san please return to your office, I need to speak to Odaira-san privately. I will call you back shortly to further discuss this matter."

Fate stood up and put a hand on Nanoha's arm and led her out of the room. They were silent the entire time on their walk back to their office. Upon entering Fate locked the door and pulled Nanoha into her arms. Nanoha gripped Fate's front and trembling said, "You can't do that Fate-chan."

"What love?" Fate asked questioningly.

"Take on problems alone. This involves us both, you should have told me what was going on. I don't like the idea of you keeping secrets from me," she said frustrated.

Sighing, "I'm sorry love. I've been dealing with this kind of stuff for a long time. I usually just ignore it but once they included you in it I just couldn't stand it. I don't care what anyone says about me but if it involves you I've found it infuriates me. I didn't want cause a huge fuss, that's why I went to Yanagi-san to deal with it. If I confronted the... them I'm afraid I might actually harm them."

"You don't think it's the same for me? When I opened that envelope and found that...that filth it took all my self control not to throttle that stupid woman," Nanoha huffed.

Fate laughed, "I know exactly how you are when it comes to protecting me, I just wish I had witnessed you dunking Quattro. That's why I didn't want to say anything to you, I didn't want you to get into trouble."

Nanoha pulled away, "I can control myself Fate-chan. Now if those idiots had actually touched you I might not have been able to restrain myself but this just called for me to be intimidating. I'm pretty sure that foul woman is admitting every disgusting thing she's ever done to Yanagi-san right now. Her desk should be cleared out by the end of the day, if not she's going to discover how uncomfortable I can make her life."

Smiling at the outrage on her lover's face, Nanoha really cared about her and was protective of her. The goofy smile was not lost on Nanoha and she pouted, "Mou Fate-chan this is serious! If anyone is bothering you I want to know about it immediately."

Feeling warmth flood her at the utter adorableness of her lover Fate captured her lips and kissed her for all she was worth. Breaking apart only when air became necessary Fate took a deep breath and said, "I'm sorry love but you are so cute when you're angry and all protective. I just want to...well I want you. I wonder if we can take the rest of the day off?"

Sapphire eyes rolled at this, "You are ridiculous. I mean it Fate-chan, you need to promise if there is a problem you'll tell me. I want us to be equal partners. You can't hide your problems from me. You wouldn't let me."

Seeing how serious Nanoha was about this Fate calmed her growing libido, taking her hands she said, "You're right, I'm sorry, it was wrong of me to not share this with you. I don't ever want you to struggle alone and I know you love me just as much as I do you. So I promise I will share all my problems with you love."

Relieved at this Nanoha pulled her blonde back to her and kissed her. It wasn't long after that they were called back to their boss' office and each was told to write out a statement concerning the events. Before the end of the day two desks were empty and Fate's ongoing issues within the office were completely resolved. The few who were still thinking evil thoughts had heard of or seen Nanoha storming through the halls behind Odaira and had the fear of god struck in them. Yet a seed of fear had taken root in Nanoha's heart at the events. Fate's tired face after the whole ordeal made her worry; would she always be the cause of all of the blonde's stress?

~"~"~"~

At the next wedding planning meeting there was a long argument, a lot of tears and tantrums as Nanoha and Fate finally seized control of their wedding. Hayate was grumbling in the corner sulking over the fact that she had officially been relegated to _mere_ bridesmaid status and was not going to be Nanoha's maid of honor. Her insanity had finally pushed Nanoha to pick her sister who was just slightly less manic over the whole affair but was a lot more flexible in understanding this wasn't her wedding.

The first decision that had to be finalized was location and looking over the dozen locals in France Nanoha felt overwhelmed and really couldn't see anything that caught her eye. Alicia seeing this leaned back in her chair and said, "Why not use the Retreat? It has plenty of room and the village has grown significantly enough to support the number of guests you'll need to accommodate. You've always liked the grounds and the arbor would be a great place for the actual ceremony. Plus you know Vicar Manus would be willing to marry you. He is such a rebel and loves you to pieces."

Nanoha looked at the sisters in confusion and seeing this Fate said, "The Retreat is a large manor house our father bought in the countryside. It can house thirty people easily and has pretty extensive grounds. We spent every summer and quite a few winters there growing up. During the summer father had other artists living there and it was a temporary artist colony where everyone shared their experience and work. It's where I learned to teach my craft, a lot of those artists were prima donnas but a few became real mentors to me."

"So you like the house and would be comfortable with the idea?" Nanoha asked.

Fate contemplated the idea for a while, "It would be nice," and then she frowned and looked at her sister, "But what about the villagers? You pissed a number of people off the last time we were there. I know the Starks for one want your blood."

"I've already apologized, if you took the time to visit them you'd know that," the elder blonde grumbled.

"Mmhm, well run upstairs and find the photo album so Nanoha can look them over, she'll make the final decision," Fate said noncommittally.

Hurrying away Alicia was back with a black photo album and quickly flipped it open. The pictures of the sisters showed them when they were much younger, perhaps in their early teens. In the background of the photos the house was shown to be beautifully decorated and spacious. Einhart and Vivio looked over Nanoha's shoulder and Vivio squeaked in surprise when a picture of Fate on horseback surfaced, "Horses! You guys own horses!"

"I'm not sure if we still do or not. Mutter Starks was the farrier/groom and she passed on what two years ago?" Fate asked her sister.

"Closer to four Fate, you've avoided the place since dad died. I didn't even think about checking the stables when I was there last, never liked the overgrown mules. You and Einhart are the horsewomen in the family," Alicia replied.

Vivio turned to her girlfriend grabbing her shoulder and shaking her excitedly, "You know how to ride?"

Einhart blushed at the excited gleam in Vivio's eyes, "Um yes. I haven't ridden in a while though, over a year. I quit lessons the summer before last."

Vivio frowned, "Why? If you still had lessons maybe we could have gone together?"

Einhart squirmed a little and avoided eye contact with Alicia as she tried to send a death glare her way. Fate seeing this said, "Spill it Ein, what did Alicia do this time? I should have wondered at you quitting but you were so busy with other afterschool projects I didn't think too much about it."

"Um, well…you see…Cia-chan was hitting on my new instructor. It made it really awkward, especially after they stopped um _talking,_ " Einhart replied trying to make it sound less awful.

Fate closed her eyes tiredly shaking her head, "I really don't know what to do with you Cia-nee. I don't know how many times I've told you to leave Einhart's instructors alone. Carim-sensei has her work cut out for her in straightening you out. I really do pity the woman for falling in love with you sometimes."

"Um so you're not going to do anything evil to punish me?" Alicia asked hopefully.

Sighing, "If Einhart _and_ Vivio want to start horseback riding lessons you will be responsible for finding them an instructor _and_ pay for it until the graduate high school. I would also like for you to send the poor woman an apology but I am sure by now she would rather not have the whole thing dredged back up and has hopefully begun to forget the whole incident and you, you damn rabbit."

Hayate had begun to pull out of her flunk when Alicia was put on the spot and hearing her catch phrase being thrown out by the normally reticent blonde made her giggle. Alicia looked at the shrimp and stuck her tongue out at her, to which Hayate stuck hers back at her.

Momoko annoyed with the digression cleared her throat, "Nanoha, does the location suit you? From what I can see from where I'm sitting the place looks perfect."

Looking back down at the album she had to agree and it wouldn't cost Fate anything either. The multitude of other things she was sure her mother and Hayate would insist on being _necessary_ was likely to make this whole affair cost more than her house. Checking with Fate to ensure she would be satisfied with the decision she saw Fate was now looking at her phone frowning at something on it. 'So much for the blonde's full attention being on the meeting,' Nanoha thought to herself gloomily.

Sighing a little she then put on a bright smile, "It's perfect. So now we have a venue, what's next?"

Miyuki slapped down a thick pile of color swatches and grinned manically, "Color Scheme!"

Fate looking up furrowed her brow at this new madness and prayed this would all be over soon. Her secret surprise for Nanoha wasn't going as smoothly as she had hoped and she needed to make a few phone calls to iron out a few wrinkles.

After listening to suggestions of making the whole thing various shades of pink from Miyuki because that had been Nanoha's favorite color growing up to Alicia's factious suggestion of black and gold, Fate finally put her foot down. She could see Nanoha had her own ideas and if these people would just stop being so difficult they wouldn't be dragging the whole process out like a bad root canal. Taking the swatches from Miyuki she declared the wedding was going to be, 'Simple and elegant' and as such the color scheme would be made up of various blues and whites, the very colors Nanoha had been fingering but been unable to voice her opinion on over the others' hubbub.

When questioned why Fate said, "Because those are the colors Nanoha looks best in," smiling at her now blushing bride she couldn't help herself, "Nanoha will look like an angel in the pure open sky."

The awws coming for that mushiness nearly stalled things out but Fate pushed them forward and things moved a lot smoother from then on. After only three more hours they had a china pattern decided upon, flower arrangements and invitation design picked, and a guest list/tentative seating plan completed. The next meeting was scheduled where they would decide on caters/menu for the reception, music and photographer.

Throughout the following weeks Fate and Nanoha found their lunch hours being stolen from them as Alicia, Hayate, Miyuki and Suzuka came by to cart them off to dress shops. Fate found the process was a more than a bit painful as they had to do it separately and she hated losing any time she could be spending with her Nanoha. But tradition was kept to and after visiting a multitude of dress shops each found the perfect dress. Fate's was a sweetheart ruched corset beaded lace up satin masterpiece that hugged her curves while still covering her completely. Nanoha's dress was a lacey plunging neckline a-line with small pearl accents which gleamed in the light within the embroidered dream-come-true.

Fate spoke to her travel agent and nearly had an entire flight to France booked for family and friends. With Fate's work permit in the country and the fact that the sisters had inherited a home there in the countryside they had enough residency to be eligible to be married in the country. The fact they'd be returning so quickly for the wedding was remarked upon by Shario when she was told of the impending wedding. Her snickering 'Love conquers all,' was accepted with an eye roll from Fate as she spoke to the prima donna.

Fate spent an unconscionable amount of time on the phone speaking to vendors half a world away and with the Lucino and Alto who were her runners. Fate's thinking in abusing the young women was they had so much fun pushing Nanoha and her together they should reap the _benefits_ of the results. The wedding planning was somewhat rushed but in the end everything came together in less than two months. Nanoha felt guilt at the fact that she couldn't help with speaking to vendors and everything seemed to rest solely on Fate and Alicia and their friends onsite. Every time she thought of all the extra effort Fate was putting into the wedding to make _her_ happy and not once really suggesting anything herself made her stomach ache. Didn't Fate have any expectations for what she wanted from their wedding?

~"~"~"~

With only days left until the wedding the anticipation and stress was building. Nanoha was scared waking up each morning, worried today would be the day Fate finally realized what she was getting herself into and ran screaming. Fate herself was nervous also but more for the fact that Nanoha was becoming more and more quiet each day that she was beginning to be fearful Nanoha was beginning to regret accepting her proposal. They hadn't made love in nearly a week as Nanoha withdrew into herself.

They were due to leave for France the next day and Fate needed to know this was still what Nanoha wanted. The thought that she could be forcing Nanoha into another unwanted marriage was making her stomach roil with anguish. Entering the bedroom Nanoha was already under the covers and curled around a pillow almost in the fetal position. Anxiety seemed to radiating off her in waves making Fate's heart ache. Coming over to Nanoha's side of the bed she sat on the edge and quietly said, "If you can't go through with this I'll understand. I know I'm not anywhere good enough for you love, I'm so damaged and you deserve someone who's… well normal."

Nanoha heard Fate's words and knew her behavior was hurting her lover, that was the last thing she wanted but she was so scared she couldn't help it. Burying her face in her pillow she felt tears come to her eyes as she sobbed muffled but still understandable, "I'm the one all messed up Fate-chan. I'm so scared you're going to realize I'm not worth all this stress. You had a quiet and peaceful life before me and I just seem to keep bring you trouble and stress. I don't know what I'm going to do when you finally see that and tell me to go away. You are so strong and good and I have been weak all my life, I just let people push me around like a stupid child. _You_ could do so much better than me."

Lifting her fiancée and pulling her head into her lap Fate felt somewhat relieved by this now familiar argument, if she had to spend the rest of her life reassuring Nanoha so be it. Every time Nanoha kissed her or touched her she relieved her own mind and heart that she was wanted and loved. She was now officially and utterly addicted to the woman and the past few days without her physical comfort had been the loneliest she had been through since Nanoha had come into her life. She never wanted to return to time where she didn't have Nanoha's touch, kiss, warmth, or love.

Petting her hair in a similar fashion to how Nanoha did to her after a stressful day at work she found solace in the gesture, the feel of Nanoha would always be something special no matter how often their bodies touched. _Touch_ , a thing she had always been rather fearful of was now as essential as breathing. How was it this woman had done this to her? Crawled under skin and made her itch with need and longing.

Looking down on her precious bundle she said softly, "You know love I think we are a very silly couple. You think I'll push you away because of your emotional insecurities and I am scared one day you'll go away because of my physical insecurities.

"I want you to listen to me very carefully right now, I love you and I am hopelessly addicted to you. You think my life before you was quiet and peaceful but that's wrong. It was dull and very...hmm restricted…no, how can I describe it…um limited in scope. I never knew how much I was missing out on until you came into my life. Just being with you, touching you makes me feel truly alive, you make me see colors I never thought existed. I would sooner blind myself or cut off my right hand than send you away."

Nanoha snuggled against her stomach gripping her tightly making Fate smile, she returned the tight hold as she continued in her loving tones, "The past few days I think I've made a mistake in letting you pull away from me but I know it can be difficult to share your pain until you've worked out how to put it into words. If my giving you this space made things worse for you then I am sorry love but believe me when I say I'll never let you go. I need your presence like plants need the sun, if I don't feel you nearby it hurts inside, I feel like something inside is shriveling up."

Sighing she said sadly, "In the future there will be times when I'll need room to work through what I am feeling and will pull away but again _never_ think I am going to run away from you. Before you knew the truth about my body I was so scared of the loneliness that I knew would come once you left me. I fully expected anyone who learned my secret to leave, who'd want to be with someone so damaged? But still couldn't let you go, I was terrified every second of the day that you would finally get frustrated with my stonewalling and secretiveness and walk away. In my head I was stuck with two untenable options, tell you and watch you walk away in disgust or continue to hide and have you walk away from me in frustration."

Petting the soft auburn hair gently she smiled, "But you didn't do either, you stayed by my side. You gave me your acceptance and love. If you ever leave me Nanoha there won't be anything left for me, all the colors in the world will fade to grays. So I'll ask you again, will you marry me? If you aren't ready for that step yet I'll understand. If you need more time or space tell me love but please don't cut me off completely. I need to feel you in my arms, I need you to love me," the last part was spoken with tears and more than a hint of a plea.

Nanoha rose up from Fate's lap and kissed her and both felt a great deal of their anxiety leave them. Hands reached out for each other and soon they were making love with a fervor. Fate gave herself over to her demonic angel enjoying each touch and kiss she rained down on her. She gave back each stroke and kiss with murmured words of love and devotion. Desperate hands sought entranced to secret places as they pressed into each other aching with need. Holding onto each other their kissing soon devolved into frantic moans then into shuddering cries of pleasure when they reached their peak.

When they came down from their highs Nanoha laid her head on Fate's chest and in a hesitant voice asked, "Fate-chan can I ask you something?"

"Mhmm," Fate hummed as she snuggled Nanoha feeling happily sleepy.

"Wasn't there anything you wanted for the wedding? It seems like everything was done according to how I wanted, you just went along with whatever I suggested."

Smiling she breathed in deeply as she buried her face in Nanoha's hair, "That's because it doesn't matter what the ceremony looks like to me."

Nanoha went rigid at this and Fate realized she hadn't put that the best way. Rubbing her lover's suddenly stiff back she continued, "All that matters is you'll be the one I'm marrying. You could be wearing a paper bag and I'd still think you're the most beautiful woman in the world. It doesn't matter the venue or all the props, I just need you there and it'll be the best and most perfect day of my life. I never once thought about weddings growing up. Who'd ever want to marry me? Even when I was still "engaged" with Chrono I didn't think about it, I would have left everything to Lindy or Alicia to plan if it had ever gotten to that stage."

Pulling away a little so she could look Fate in the eyes she saw as usual all the love and devotion Fate had for her clearly visible in deep pools of burgundy and wondered how long that would last. When would Fate finally grow tired of her, of her stupidity and neediness? When would this fairytale come to an end and she be left alone once again? Fate saw something was bothering her and asked, "What is it love?"

Not wanting to delve further into her stupid insecurities she just shook her head, "I'm just being silly, forget it."

Fate knew there was something more and not liking the way Nanoha was closing up again she reached out and tipped her chin up so they could see eye to eye again. In a stern voice she said, "Tell me. It doesn't matter what it is, I want to know. I want to know all of your hurts and sooth them. Just like when you touch me and smile at me soothes the pain in me. If it's silly, so what, I still want to know."

Looking at the earnestness in Fate's eyes she swallowed the lump in her throat and said, "I'm scare one day soon you'll grow tired of me and leave me. I don't know if I could survive being alone again. I hate feeling alone. It's my greatest fear, to be invisible and forgotten. That's why I've always wanted a family of _my_ own. I know my family loves me but all my life I felt like everyone would be better off without me. During my marriage I hardly heard from them and when I called on holidays and special occasions the conversations were always strained. That just made everything worse for me, it made me feel like I was bothering them with my presence. I already felt like such a failure and ashamed that the strained relationship with them made it so I couldn't admit my life had become a complete farce."

Brushing back Nanoha's bangs and cupping her cheek she said reassuringly, "Nanoha they missed you, they spoke of you constantly to anyone who would listen. I was always confused by the fact that you never visited them when your mom always seemed sad around the holidays and your birthday. My thinking was surely Momoko would never be too reserved that she wouldn't have ordered you home for the holidays. After all she bosses everyone else around. But every year passed and you never came home. You were a ghost that haunted the family, they smiled and laughed and went about their daily lives yes, but they were always hoping for the best for you. They missed you. You are a vital piece of their family, just like you are a vital piece of my heart."

Grimacing Nanoha ducked her head to press her forehead to Fate's chest, "I hear you say these things and I want to believe you, but Fate-chan you know my family, you've seen how close everyone is. My parents are like newlyweds and my elder siblings are best of friends. Growing up I knew I wasn't planned, a mistake, my parents already had the perfect kids they wanted, the strong and brave Kyoya and the beautiful and sweet Miyuki, what did they need me for? Everyone had their place and I was the unneeded fifth wheel. When I started school I thought it'd get better, instead I became the spare again, in kindergarten I helped Suzuka and Arisa become best friends. Then later Hayate came into the picture but as close as we were she was always closer with her cousins who adore her. Yuuno never needed me, he just used my insecurities to further his family's goals. Now you're in my life but you'll always have Alicia and Einhart, you don't need me to be happy."

Fate griped Nanoha's face and pulled it up, eyes blazing she said, "Wrong. I need you to be happy. You are my happiness. I love my family but they deserve their own lives, to move on and grow up. But I…I need you because every secret dream and fantasy I've ever tried to squash is now fully formed and is permeated with you."

Feeling her irrational fears grip her Nanoha jerked away and she said something stupid, "I've heard all this before Fate. I've been fed these lines before and fell for them like an idiot. You're not the first to say I'm vital to them and in the end I just got used."

Fate felt like she'd been slapped, hurt at this blind lashing out. The shocked look on the blonde's face made Nanoha recoil into herself, hate herself even more. Seeing a glimpse of the self loathing in eyes turned almost violet-black with pain Fate took a deep breath and said, "Do you honestly believe I would use you? Do you think I could ever hurt you? Am I in your eyes the same as Yuuno Scrya?"

There was a ferocious amount of pain in Fate's voice as she asked the last and Nanoha clenched her teeth as she shook her head violently tearing up, "No! Fate-chan isn't like that. If anyone is using someone it's me with you."

Fate felt relieved, she didn't want to be seen as a user. But why would Nanoha feel like she was using her?

Voice still tinged with pain and confusion Fate asked, "Nanoha I don't understand, why do you think you're using me? I'd think it's perfectly obvious that I love you and you love me. You respect me and I respect you. We share a great deal in common and appreciate each other's company. We find each other physically attractive and we are sexually compatible. You can have no idea how surprising that is to me, you are gorgeous and so passionate, it seems a waste for you to be fixated on someone like me but I'm never going to complain about that. We both want the same things from life and want a shared the future together, so love where does the using come into play?"

Logic, Fate was using logic and Nanoha felt the irrationality of her fears but couldn't help herself, "Everything you're saying is right but that doesn't stop my irrational fear that you'll discover I'm a huge unnecessary burden and leave me someday. Fate-chan you are beyond out of my league. Scarred or not you are gorgeous, you're intelligent, profoundly gifted, kindhearted and gentle, generous to a fault and patient. Who wouldn't fall in love with you? What can I offer you that you couldn't get somewhere else?"

Shifting on the bed Fate rolled Nanoha onto her back so she could straddle her hips. Nanoha looked up at the enticing display of full breasts and had to take a deep breath to settle her suddenly rioting hormones. Fate was too much of a temptation for her, no matter what she was feeling her need for the blonde goddess would overwhelm it. The blonde seeing Nanoha's eyes dilate with loving desire couldn't help feeling a small surge of wonder at it, why couldn't Nanoha understand how special she was?

Reaching down she let her hands brush across the smooth skin of Nanoha's stomach as she spoke, "Only you can look at me and actually make me feel beautiful and wanted in a way that doesn't frighten me. Only you can touch me and make me want more. Many people have claimed to find me attractive but not a one ever made a real effort to get to know me, to infiltrate my life to the extent you have and make me utterly dependent upon them for my happiness. I've been propositioned and looked upon with lustful eyes, had people forcefully kiss and grope me and all it did was make me feel scared and disgusted. I can see your desire for me in your eyes but it's warm and loving. It's gentle and all consuming. It makes me feel secure and whole. I can't find that anywhere else but in your eyes. Your eyes ignited a fire in me Nanoha, and only your touch can sooth it."

Sapphire eyes glistened with tears making Fate's heart ache, reaching down she brushed back auburn locks so she could kiss Nanoha's forehead before pressing hers to it. With a heartfelt whisper she said, "I promise you Nanoha I'll never let you feel lonely again. My greatest desire is to stay by your side for the rest of my life. Love if there ever comes a time when you feel lonely or scared just reach out to me and I'll be there. Whatever you need I want to give it to you, your happiness is mine. If I am not giving you enough attention or I am doing something wrong please tell me, be selfish with me, be greedy. I know I am when it comes to you, I don't think I've ever wanted anything or anyone as much as I want…no… make that _need_ you."

Nanoha rolled them onto their side, arms locked around Fate's neck, her heart pounding with a strange mixture of happiness at Fate's words, pain from the past and fear of the future.

The pain and fear in her beautiful sapphire eyes made Fate's heart throb painfully. Gripping her tightly she asked forcefully, "Talk to me love why are you so scared? What can I do to take it away? Please tell me, it's killing me to see you hurt."

Eyes frantic and her voice now trembling she said, "Because you make me too happy. I'm scared because you own me heart, mind, soul and body and the last time I gave away a part of myself I got burned. It took me years to figure it out but Yuuno only wanted the _privilege_ of owning me. He never saw me as a person, I was a trophy his mother had always pointed out to him as something to covet. Once he had me that was the end of him needing me, he went back to listening to him mother in all things. And then they began to use my naivety to bend me to his family's will. Thanks to them I'm scared of being told I'm needed, it seems like tainted bait being put before me. If I take that how will I be poisoned this time? I know you won't hurt me but that doesn't stop me from feeling scared. I can't stop the irrational thoughts that keep haunting me."

Tears for her hurting lover beaded long blonde lashes as Fate held Nanoha tightly not letting her pull away. She knew the Scryas had taken advantage of Nanoha but this purposeful demeaning of this wonderful person and the exploitation of her fears made her wish she had done more to punish them. Merely losing their influence, money and freedom didn't seem enough, Fate now wanted their blood. If the old woman survived her time in prison she'd find more pain waiting for her on the outside.

Releasing her hold of Nanoha with her left hand she brought it up between them and showed her a small scar just below her wrist bone. It was barely more than a centimeter in length but had been deep when formed many years ago. In a soft voice that slightly hesitated Fate decided to tell Nanoha her darkest secret and hope this helped her understand she wasn't going anywhere, "You see this scar?"

Nanoha looked at the tiny scar and nodded, compared with all the others on Fate's body it appeared minor and looked like something someone would get in a childhood accident. It had been unhidden the entire time they had known each other. Seeing the guilt in Fate's eyes made her wonder at this small scar's importance.

Taking a deep breath Fate went on, "When I was brought to Japan I didn't speak, I was scared of everything and nearly everyone. The only person I trusted was Alicia but she was just a little girl and I soon realized it was wrong to put that kind of pressure on her. She had friends and a life here in Japan and actively tried to incorporate me into it. But the children she was friends with wanted nothing to do with me and my strange behavior, she lost all her friends nearly overnight. Alicia told me she didn't care, she'd rather have me than a million friends but I got scared. What if Alicia realized I wasn't worth it, what if she left me alone? I couldn't speak because I was scared, I couldn't go outside because I was scared, I was terrified of the whole world and I only had one beacon I could hold on too. A beacon who was highly sought out by so many others who were undamaged and had much more than I could ever offer her.

"Now before I came to live with them Alicia ran errands for our father all the time. But she refused to do so after I was recovered not wanting to leave me alone. It had been months since I had come into the household and I still clung to her and father was getting frustrated, he was use to getting his way. He told her I'd be fine alone for twenty minutes and forced her out of the house to run some errand. As soon as she left the house I freaked out, but the entire thing was internal, I didn't cry or scream. I'd had those responses beaten out of me by my mother so he couldn't tell anything was wrong with me."

Seeing Nanoha's frown she sighed, "Our father wasn't a bad man Nanoha but he didn't know how to deal with me. Because of his guilty feelings he usually just bought me things, art supplies, and ignored me. Anyways after he sent Alicia out I retreated to my room terrified she wasn't coming back. I had a knife I used to scrape off old dried paint from palettes and I stared at it for a while. I kept thinking about what my mother had told me, 'I was a burden, I was useless, and I was unwanted' and came to the conclusion eventually Alicia would realize that soon. It would be best to just disappear now and be done with it. Be done with the pain and the fear.

"So I picked up the knife and pressed it to my wrist but I was scared, I had never purposefully hurt myself before and the pain of just pressing against my wrist made me want to throw it away. I was thinking about eating paint and just staring at the spot where the knife was sitting against my skin bringing small droplets of blood to the surface when Alicia came home. She freaked out. She took the knife away from me and actually slapped me. It was the first and only time she had ever done anything like that. She was crying and screaming at me. She told me she hadn't gone through all the trouble to get me back just for me to leave her. She swore to be with me forever and that she'd protect me from anything and anyone who tried to hurt me, even myself. I finally spoke that day as she held me crying her eyes out; I told her I was sorry.

"I know what it means to be scared Nanoha, to be weak and feel like a burden. I don't want you to feel like that, because you're not. Your smile and laugh, your touch and kisses, they're all essential to me now. Believe me when I say I love you and want to be with you forever. I'm all yours, every piece of me now cries out for you. You are my beacon now, but not because I need a protector but because I need your warmth. Please let me be your beacon, let me be the one you depend on to help you when you're hurt or scared."

Nanoha felt ashamed of her behavior and at having forced Fate to recount more of her painful past but felt also a strange sense of relief, Fate understood her fears and pain better than anyone else ever had. She saw her weaknesses and didn't try to manipulate her with them but instead wanted to help her overcome them. Taking Fate's wrist she pressed a kiss to the small scar and said, "You've been my beacon for a long time already Fate-chan. You are everything I could possibly want or need. I only hope I can be as strong and dependable beacon as you've been for me, because I want to be the one who'll protect you from here on. I'm going to do anything and everything I can to make you happy."

Fate smiled in relief, she hadn't been sure how Nanoha would take her revelation but seeing the understanding and acceptance in Nanoha's eyes relieved her fears. Pulling her bride-to-be closer she kissed her with all the love she could pour into it. Snuggling her warm body in tight she whispered, "Just stay by my side and love me and I'll be happy for the rest of my life."

Kissing Fate's neck and shoulder Nanoha whispered back, "Always," then allowed herself to relax into dreamless sleep.

When the pair awoke it was time for their flight and both felt a rush of excitement fill them. There was no more hesitation, no more fear, just a deep longing to finalize their vows and move on to the next stage of their lives together.

~"~"~"~

A/N2: Next chapter the wedding…there will be something _interesting_ happening before the big event. Yes, I think Nanoha will have a _very_ interesting time…heehee. A tiny bit of drama but it's so much fun. Please review, I need a little love after a rough week.


	13. Chapter 13: Wedding Pt1

A/N: Damn this is a long chapter! I was working on it off and on and it kept growing like a monster. Just a bunch of fluff exploding everywhere and more lemon-flavored moments cropping up. In the end I had to break the Wedding it into two chapters. I am uploading the first part today and will upload the second part tomorrow evening after my last minute tweaking...um review for typos.

P.S. don't ask about the job, it still hurts but yeah it all fell through, sigh now I am scrambling for another job. I so wanted that job and finally have some discretionary money again to buy anime/geek stuff again…not that I don't anyway then eat peanut butter for a week…sigh I have no self-control.

Disclaimer: I do not own and never will own the MGLN universe or its characters. I make no profit (sob) from my writing.

~"~"~"~

Chapter 13 – Wedding Part 1

Paris, France: Arrival time 10:06 am

Upon arriving once more in Paris with a huge entourage Fate and Nanoha found a fleet of rental vehicles and their familiar minions waiting for them outside of the airport. Between themselves and the two coeds they had their wedding guests loaded for transport to the small town on the outskirts of Paris with minimal fuss. Like a mama duck trailing a line of ducklings the caravan of vehicles came into the town. Fate, Alicia, Alto and Lucino each drove a leader vehicle and follower vehicles stayed behind them and were directed to either one of the small bed and breakfasts or the single major hotel the town supported. Only immediate family and members of the wedding party would be staying at the family home.

In the twin sisters' youth the town center had been much smaller and considered rather rural but it was now growing into a more modern urban town. The family home there was situated on northern outer edge of the town and was considered something of a tourist attraction for art aficionados. The great house and its surrounding land was the birthplace of many famous modern masterpieces thanks to its grand views and peaceful atmosphere. When the Takamachis finally saw the house in all its glory as the vehicle made its way up the long drive with the rolling hills and woods they suddenly realized that Nanoha was once again marrying into a wealthy and influential family. The trio acted so _normal_ it was hard to believe they were rich and famous. Shiro couldn't help looking at the elegant blonde driving and feeling amazed at how different the Testarossas were from the Scryas considering they both came from the same hothouse exclusive upbringing.

Coming to a stop in front of the house Fate saw standing in the doorway to the home a single figure waiting to greet them. As the twin sisters got out of their vehicles the man instantly recognized them and smiled, bowing low to them and their party. Exchanging a quick hug he then helped them unload the luggage before leading them into the house for proper introductions. Once inside the expansive living room Fate began to happily introducing Nanoha, Vivio, Einhart, Alisa, Suzuka, and the other Takamachis to Norbert Starks the middle aged balding man who was the property's caretaker. Alicia had quickly disappeared upstairs with Carim to _her_ room to relax as the elder blonde was still recovering from travel sickness. Fate was warning the older gentleman that a few more groups were still set to arrive and was filling him in on who had clearance to enter the house.

Norbert Starks was only taking in every other word his employer/adoptive niece spoke. He was staring from Nanoha to her mother in astonishment but couldn't say anything; this had to be a joke. Nanoha could sense the older man had something to say but couldn't figure out what. Obviously he had no issues with homosexuality, he had worked for the Testarossas long enough to know Alicia's preferences so that couldn't be it. Was he upset that Fate was marrying a Japanese woman? Fate was worried about his flightiness and was about to ask where his daughters were so they could address their duties for the next few days when she heard a loud banging noise.

Sighing Fate smiled, closed her eyes and tilted her head to the side as if to listen better. The sound of arguing filled the hall along with the stumbling footsteps of someone being dragged around made her chuckle. Nanoha was about to ask what was going on when the high pitched whine of a girl nearby said, "Ugh Levi you always make us late, hurry up or we'll make Da lock you outside with those stupid mongrels of yours."

A much kinder voice broke in and said, "Leave her be Dearche, you've already caused enough trouble as it is dying her blue. Fate is going to be so disappointed with you, she's finally getting married and you decide it's the perfect time to pull a stupid prank like that. It's no wonder Levi has been hiding in the kennels all day."

The whiny voice responded with a huff, "I was color coordinating her. Blue hair should have matching skin. Maybe now she'll stop hogging the bathroom, spoiled princess."

"Dearche, she could have been hurt. She tried to bleach herself, if I hadn't caught her god only knows what she would have done."

The sound of smacking could be heard then the angry words, "Are you and idiot Levi? God this goes beyond being a kid, you're seventeen not seven."

The last person of the trio finally spoke, her voice a slightly lower register than the others, "Dearche is a meanie! Only Stern is a nice big sister, just wait till I tell Fate all about what you've been doing, she'll make you regret making me look like a Smurf!"

"Silence Smurfette! We're not scared, besides she only likes you because you look like Alicia."

"Don't you mean because I look like her?" Levi replied confused.

Then the door to the room swung open and three young women stood in the doorway. The Takamachis, Alisa, Suzuka and Einhart stood frozen staring at the trio and suddenly Nanoha understood Mr. Starks' wonderment at seeing her and her mother. Right before her next to a younger blue tinted version of Fate and a silver haired girl whose back was slightly turned to them was a young woman who looked like she could be her sister. In fact she looked so much like her she appeared to be a younger version of herself except her eyes were a lighter blue and her hair a dark brown.

Fate seeing the girls smiled and the blue girl pulled away from the group and bounced over to her. Throwing her arms around the blonde she snuggled into her, crying out happily, "Fate you've come home! I missed you so much! I'm so sorry about my appearance. Stupid Dearche put dye in my bubble-bath. Can you believe that?! I was soaking in dye, my bubbles are always blue and she's now made me paranoid. I've bathed with my Lovely Bubbles Bath Syrup like a million times and now it's like I've been betrayed. It's crazy just look at me Fate! I'm freaking Smurfette!

"Please tell me you'll punish her for doing this to me. She's been laughing manically like she's some kind of evil genius, all proud of herself. But we all know she's just a nutzoid doofus, so not cool. The idiot said she did it so your bride wouldn't mistake me with you, but that's just stupid. There's no way anyone would ever confuse us. You are a million times cooler than me and besides if your bride can tell you and Alicia apart then there's no way she'd confuse a shrimp like me with you," the girl said conclusively as she rocked back and forth in Fate's arms like she was bopping to her own internal soundtrack.

The shrimp in question was exactly the same height as Fate, her measurements must have been within bare millimeters of Fate's and other than her vibrant purple eyes and now strange blue tinting to her whole body she would have been a nearer clone to Fate than Alicia. It was the fact that Levin looked so much like Alicia and was so non-threatening in her spoilt princess ways that had endeared the girl to Fate as she really was a mini-Alicia that _she_ could wield some control over.

As the pair of doppelgangers reunited the brown haired young woman caught sight of Momoko and let out a squeaky, "Mama?"

The silver haired girl turned her disapproving glare from her little sister who was the only one of the trio who had ever wormed her way into Fate's personal space to look over the others in the room. At the sight of the elder woman her eyes flew open and in a commanding tone she demanded, "Who is that?!"

Fate turned to the two elder sisters and said, "Dearche, Stern," then pulling away from the clinging body attached to her and turning the blue girl to face the Takamachis, "Levin, let me introduce you to my fiancée, her family and our friends. After that we'll deal with blue skin issue."

Fate didn't really see the resemblance between Stern and her fiancée but everyone else did. Stern was…well _just_ Stern in Fate's eyes. She was six years her junior and had always been like a little sister to her. She and the other Starks girls were her first pupils when it came to teaching her craft. Little Levin especially was like a younger and if possible brattier version of Alicia. Dearche was the middle child and as such always tried to overcompensate in her commanding behavior to get attention.

When Nanoha's eyes finally landed on the silver haired Dearche she had to shudder, here was a frightening glimpse into the future if Hayate and Rein ever had children. The haughty attitude of the young woman reminded her of Hayate on her worst days of power tripping. Alisa and Suzuka looked at the trio and felt like they had fallen into a bad sci-fi movie. There was no reason on Earth for there to be another Hayate in the world, it was too much to be expected for them to deal with this madness. Alisa looked over at the brown haired girl and thought she really did look like Nanoha but if all the liveliness had been sucked out of her. The girl looked like a muted version of Nanoha in her eyes. Suzuka was shocked by the fact that there was someone who looked so much like her friend but whose aura was so fundamentally different.

Nanoha's eyes kept going back to Stern, this girl looked so much like her… was this the reason why Fate fell in love with her? Was this girl the real person Fate wanted to be with? Just as that stupid question formed in her sometimes paranoid mind a resounding, 'No!' broke through. The girl before her may resemble her physically but the more she looked at her the more she realized they were nothing alike. It would be like saying Fate and Alicia or the blue girl were all interchangeable. The very idea discounted their fundamentally different personalities and spirits, only one of that trio could touch her heart.

Taking in Stern Nanoha noted her clothing first, she was wearing all dark colors, blacks, grays and deep maroons. Her hair was cut at chin level and was decidedly messy in a tomboyish way. She had a very serious look about her as if she had the weight of the world on her young shoulders and her mouth seemed as if it was normally set in a questioning frown. Her light blue eyes looked wary and questioning, they were nothing like Nanoha's own bright and curious sapphire eyes.

Fate's arm reached around Nanoha and knocked her out of her contemplation as it pulled her in tight to her side. The warm smile she beamed down on her made it painfully obvious who the blonde was in love. Nanoha in turn clung back to her, slightly dazed by the trio and hoping for an explanation that would make sense of it all.

Fate's warm voice introduced her to the trio, "This is Nanoha Takamachi my fiancée."

Stern looked at the woman standing so closely to Fate and felt confused. How was this possible? Fate didn't touch people that easily, Fate didn't speak or smile so openly. The fact that a woman who so closely resembled her stood by her side and appeared to be the cause of these changes annoyed her greatly. She had been looking forward to seeing _her_ Fate one more time. The quiet and remote girl who needed a strong protector. But the woman beside Fate was now clinging to her for support hardly appeared a worthy protector. What was happening? Pulling her eyes away she tried to listen to this blonde stranger.

Then Fate's other arm swung out and pointed out Momoko, Shiro, Miyuki, Vivio, Einhart, Suzuka and Alisa, introducing each to the trio. The girls nodded dumbly, the elder two now caught up with staring at Momoko in shock. Dearche came over and looked Momoko over closely and appeared to even sniff at the woman as if trying to convince herself this wasn't her mother. Levin looked at the two teens in the group, she really didn't want to like them, they had Fate all to themselves but the naturally vivacious Vivio smiled at the girl and it reminded Levi of Fate's smile with its warmth and yet another person fell for girl's charms. Einhart had a shocked look on her face as she looked at the blue girl and seeing the nod in her direction all she could do was give a half smile and a choked, "Hi."

While most continued to stare at Stern the green haired girl's eyes seemed to be locked on Levi, her mind screaming, 'Yea Gods there's another one!' Vivio turning saw Einhart's stunned look frozen on the older girl frowned and smacked her girlfriend on the arm breaking her out of her daze. Einhart shook her head and looked at her now fuming girlfriend slightly confused. She hadn't been drooling over Levi, quite the opposite the young woman gave off the same vibes as Alicia which was Einhart repellent. No, she was horrified there was another person who looked like her beloved cousin and was such a clingy brat! The reason she loved her own blonde so much was deep down Vivio was a great deal like Fate, both were gentle and patient, both liked to take care of the people they loved, and both just made you feel warm inside when they smiled. This Levin person screamed high maintenance psycho brat, worst than Alicia and that was saying something.

Momoko looking at three girls asked the first question that had popped into her head which was perhaps not worded in the best way but said with the best intentions, "Are you sure all three of them are yours Norbert? They don't look anything alike."

Norbert laughed as this was not the first time someone had pointed this out. He still had people who thought Levi was a Testarossa, but the DNA tests proved otherwise for all three girls. He could have pulled out their gene scans but instead went with a more friendly way of proving they were all family. Fishing out his wallet he flipped out photos of three women.

Pointing at the first woman who looked just like Momoko herself but younger he said, "This is my wife Mona she passed on four years ago. Stern takes after her as strongly as your girl does you." Then he pointed out the next photo which was of a tall stately blonde woman who looked a great deal like Fate, "This is my mother, Serenity Starks, Levin takes after her." Then he pointed out the last photo of a woman in a traditional Japanese kimono who looked so much like Hayate it would have been difficult to distinguish them apart, "This is my wife's mother, Emi Nakamoto, our little Dearche takes after her. I know they don't look alike but they're all sisters, our family is so mixed it was always a surprise when one of them was born."

Miyuki was looking at the photo of Mona Starks and asked, "Mama are we related to any Nakamotos?"

Momoko looking at all three photos in quick secession over and over in an effort to convince herself they were real blinked and turned to her eldest daughter and said, "No love. My mother was an only child and her family name was Houri, I guess that saying about everyone having a twin in the world is true. But this is ridiculous."

Norbert frowned, "What do you mean?"

Then door swung open from the opposite end of the room and a chirpy voice called out, "Honey I'm home!"

Turning Fate's eyes rolled as she took in Nanoha's best friend and the final missing doppelganger. Norbert's jaw dropped once more. Momoko seeing his response sighed, "That's that I meant. It seems as if your girls look just like my daughter, her fiancée and her best friend. That hyperactive nut is Hayate Yagami; she's been friends with Nanoha since they were nine. I've known the Yagami family most of my life and I'm pretty sure no Nakamotos are in her family tree either."

Rein following her girlfriend into the room took in the occupants and seeing Dearche she gasped and took a hold of her girlfriend and shook her. Pointing at the girl she said, "Oh god Hayate-chan please we have to have babies, look at her! She looks just like you with my hair, she's gorgeous, she's perfect, I want one, please darling let's have a baby!"

Hayate was having a hard time focusing with being so violently shaken but when she finally was able to take in the now blushing girl she had to admit the kid was cute. Looking up at her girlfriend as she hugged her she said, "We'll have to talk to Carim-sensei. Do you think you can finally convince her you're not after Alicia with this request? After all I refuse to be your baby's mama if you're just gonna leave me after knocking me up."

Rein frowned and flicked her girlfriend's nose as she said pouting, "Who said you'd be the one to carry our baby? I want to do that, you can carry the second one, but I call dibs on the first one."

Hayate's eyes widened at that, "You want to have more than one baby with me?"

Rein leaned down and rubbed her nose against Hayate's button like nose and said lovingly, "I'd like to have three or four. We're both only children and I know I was pretty lonely growing up. You had your cousins but wouldn't you have liked to have sisters of your own?"

Fate broke into the further planning for world destruction by clearing her throat and saying, "Um Reinforce, Hayate, let me introduce you to the Starks."

~"~"~"~

It was a noisy affair at lunch with the Takamachis (Nanoha, Vivio, Shiro, Momoko, Miyuki, and the late arriving Kyoya, Shinobu and their children, little five year old Shiro and his twin three year old sisters Maki and Rin), Testarossa Family (Fate, Alicia and Einhart), Hayate, Rein, Carim, Alisa, Suzuka, Lucino, Alto and the Starks all sitting at the table enjoying lunch and each other's company. The Starks in particular were shocked at how much more open and lively Fate was. The two coeds teased her something fierce about her engagement. Fate's only response to the teasing was to pulled the auburn haired woman at her side closer. It was clear to anyone who looked at the pair they were in love and made each other happy.

The blue tinted girl kept wiggling and looking at Fate with hopeful longing, she really didn't want to look like a Smurf for a week or longer and her skin was pretty tender at this point from scrubbing. Feeling sorry for the normally fastidious girl Fate decided to cut the meal short. Excusing herself from the party-like atmosphere Fate went to the kitchen and found a gallon of white vinegar and a large box of baking soda. Coming back to the dining room to give Nanoha a small kiss and collect the stained girl she said, "Sorry love, looks like I have to bathe the family pet now."

The Alicia and coeds at the table choked on their drinks laughing. Hayate, Rein, Alisa and Suzuka were a little shocked by the forthrightness of the declaration but if the girl really was like a little sister then it was understandable. Since the engagement party Fate had accompanied them to a spa and shared an open air bath with them along her sister Alicia and the teens. They now knew what Fate hid and marveled at how normal Nanoha, Alicia, Einhart and Vivio treated the whole thing, but they were the woman's _family_. The older Takamachis just shrugged the whole thing off, that's what families did for one another. Vivio and Einhart sat back and decided to watch where this all went. Nanoha saw the twinkle of mischievousness in her lover's eyes and just nodded. Carim blushed, the thought of either of the Testarossa sisters bathing someone made rather lewd thoughts arise.

The blue girl suddenly blushed so hard she looked purple. Waving her hands out in panic she said, "Wa…wa…what do you mean bathe me? I can wash myself just tell me what to do."

Shrugging at this Fate said, "Use a wash rag and gently wipe yourself down with the vinegar, it might be enough by itself so rinse off after you finish each section. If not mix a paste with the baking soda and water, um 3 to 1, then wipe yourself with that until the color is gone. I'd say try using toothpaste but if this is your whole body then I think you're going to need a lot of toothpaste."

Dearche was shocked, "Hey Fate, would you really help bathe that idiot? I mean strip down and get in the tub with her and everything?"

Fate hadn't forgotten they hadn't dealt with her since Einhart came into her life but the resulting shock was more than she had expected. Laughing she pulled Einhart to her and said, "Sure, I help this little one all the time, right Ein-chan?"

The girl's instant full body blush could have been seen from space. Ducking her head for a moment she struggled for moment with the insanity of what Fate had just said. Then it hit her, Fate never teased her without reason, the teasing was always in a way that solidified their closeness. These girls had never bathed with Fate, they may know about her body but had never been openly exposed to it, never been trusted that close. The number of people who knew and could touch Fate without flinching (on both sides) could be counted on both hands and nearly all of them were all in the room at that moment. Fate was offering this girl the privilege of being trusted but this day would never have come without the acceptance Fate had received from Alicia and Nanoha, and _herself_.

Just as quickly as the burning flooded her it cooled as she laughed and mocked glared at the blonde, "Ha, so you call that help? I'd call it child enslavement; you always make me wash your hair."

Thankful Einhart had taken the tease the way she had intended Fate squeezed her a little and raised an eyebrow towards Levi and Dearche, "So do I need to help or maybe Dearche will _volunteer_? She did cause the problem in the first place."

Levi grasped her sister suddenly desperate, there was no way she'd be able to share a bath with Fate she was too shy, now begging she pleaded, "Please Dearche, help me in the bathe, just my back, please I love you."

The silver haired girl was trying to wrap her mind around someone bathing with Fate. She'd seen the scars briefly and they made her scared. They screamed pain and suffering and she couldn't relax when they were exposed. Was she a bad little sister not being as strong and accepting as Einhart?

Stern was equally shocked by the revelation and decided to step in before this turned into a gibbering fest. Taking the vinegar and baking soda from Fate's hands she said, "I think between the three of us, Dearche, myself and Levi, we'll have it covered. Thanks for the offer of help but I think Levi might be a little too high strung to handle it."

Fate nodded at this and instead turned to her wife-to-be to ask, "So Love want to take a few minutes to wash up ourselves before we take a tour of the rest of the house and grounds?"

Smiling at the offer Nanoha took Fate's arm and said, "Lead the way my love."

~"~"~"~

Meeting back up an hour later the Fate discovered most of the household was now napping and were forgoing the tour. It would just be Nanoha, Vivio, Shiro, and Einhart with the Starks sisters leading the tour of the house and grounds. Holding Nanoha's hand as they walked over property made the otherwise boring tour somewhat worthwhile. She didn't want any of her love ones getting lost but really would have preferred staying in their room _relaxing._ Shiro eyed both Fate and Einhart as they held his little girls' hands. Both of the tall elegant females worshiped the ground their Takamachi counterparts walked on so he really had nothing to growl about, they took all the fun out of his life.

After the main points of the house were quickly gone through the small group left the main house via a pair of French doors that opened onto a small enclosed courtyard/atrium with a fountain. The space wasn't all that large and the fountain took up a healthy portion of the room so it could only accommodate around a dozen people comfortably which was why neither twin sister had suggested this space for the wedding ceremony. Alicia had called this space the donut hole of the house growing up. The house's designer had enclosed the space almost like a hothouse then placed a fountain there almost like an afterthought. It was only once the Testarossa's purchased the house that this space received a major makeover. The dull space had been transformed by a colorful stonework mosaic and the replacement of some of the glass panels of its roof with stained glass artwork. As appealing as the glass artwork was it was mosaic that exploded out from the fountain with colorful tendrils that caught the guests' eyes.

Nanoha couldn't help noticing the Starks sisters didn't give it a second glance, seemingly ready to push through this beautiful space without a word. Vivio and Einhart had immediately stopped like her and took it in hungrily. The colors and design just drew you in and made you want to sit on one of the wrought iron chairs or stone benches that decorated the space around the fountain and stare at it all day. Even her father had stopped and was following a line of color with his eyes as if mesmerized.

Shiro amazed by it all asked in a hushed voice, "Fate-chan who designed this courtyard?"

Smiling at the man she said, "I did. It's the only time I've ever worked in the medium, one of the artists that stayed with us was a pretty famous mosaic artist and she used to let me help her organize her stones. I sketched the whole thing out as a lark because dad wanted to remodel this space. When she saw my design she made dad _let_ me install it. She had me out here for weeks on my hands and knees installing the thing with her."

"That's amazing, she sounds like a good mentor," Shiro replied a bit more proud of the blonde after hearing this.

Fate's brows knitted for a moment as she said, "Yes, she was. She was already in her nineties by that time, she died the following winter."

Nanoha squeezed her arm and said softly, "I'm sorry love."

Shaking her head Fate pushed her morose thoughts away and said, "She told me she was ready to go, hugged me goodbye when we left. I didn't flinch that time and that made her smile. She's actually buried in the town's cemetery, I'll need to get down there and see about visiting."

Smiling at her gentle-hearted lover Nanoha nodded at this and couldn't help reflecting she was learning so much more about Fate being in this place. Fate was opening up and sharing memories, looking through photo albums was fun but being here and experiencing the place with her changed everything. Hopefully in the next few days they will be able to make more happy memories together beyond their wedding ceremony.

They then exited the enclosed area as it was clear Levi was eager for their next planned stop. There was a cobbled path lined by small flowering bushes and shady trees that ran around the house and led either to the entrance to the gardens or down to a gravel lane to the stables. Vivio was hopping around like a flea in excitement as they were led to the stables. Levi had taken over care of the animals on the property with the occasional assist from her father. It was her hope to go to Veterinary school after graduation so this was more a labor of love than a chore. The stables housed six horses, five mares and one stallion, and had a small paddock attached to it.

The horses were loose in the paddock nosing their trough or picking at the ground, the bored animals immediately perked up at the sight of the humans. The stallion was larger than his female counterparts and a deep rust color. When he saw Fate he let out a whinny and walked to where she stood at the fence line. Levin introduced Vivio to the horses and was proving to be more mature and calm when around the animals. She even pulled from her small satchel a handful of sugar cubes to expedite the bonding process.

Levin seeing the adoration for the animals in Vivio's eyes offered to saddle up some of the horses and give her a few lessons. Then if she felt comfortable they could tour the riding paths which circled and quartered the property. Vivio gave both her mother and Fate the most pathetic puppy eyes pleading for permission. Her grandfather looked at the beasts worriedly, how were these little girls supposed to control such large animals? Einhart looked at the older man and seeing his worried look decided to tease him.

"Ne Shiro-san you aren't scared of them are you?" the girl asked in a would-be innocent voice.

"I'm not scared, I'm worried, look how big their teeth are," the man pointed out.

"Oh yes grandpa, and such big ears and eyes as well, they're just waiting to eat us up," Einhart said giggling.

Rolling his eyes at this he turned to Fate and asked, "Fate-chan, are these things safe?"

The blonde was being turned into goo by puppy eyes but hearing the concern she tried to reassure the man, "The horses themselves overall yes, we don't have any animals that are temperamental. Mona Starks was a first rate trainer and all these horses were certified as service animals. A toddler could ride one and as long as they stayed balanced would just get a gentle ride back to the stables if the handler let the lead go."

Nanoha looked at her Fate questioningly, "I thought you didn't keep up with the horses?"

"After how excited Little Miss Fluffball here got I had to check them out. I'd never let anything happen to any of my girls if I can help it," Fate replied.

This relieved both Nanoha and her father about the animals.

Turning to her daughter Nanoha said, "Okay, but only if you promise to pay attention to Einhart and Levin, they know how to ride. If they tell you to stop or give you directions listen."

The little blonde promised before turning to her two lovely instructors, blue and green twin pillars of would-be cool beauty. Einhart wanted to offer to ride double to further relieve parental concerns but in the end it might lead to more. Einhart was finding it hard to restrain herself with all the adults around, _hyper excited Vivio was soo cute!_ Levin really wanted to impress both Fate and Vivio so struck a confident pose and grinned. The little blonde then hopped over to them and took both girls by the arm to drag them away.

The newly de-blued Levi flushed in a blush at Vivio's excitement, trying to maintain her cool act she addressed Nanoha confidently, "Don't worry Miss Nanoha, I won't let anything happen to her. She's just like Fate, a real sweetheart, not like my sisters who are always picking on me and my love of the animals here."

Dearche who was still smarting from Stern's bathroom lecture and at having to help the Whelp wash rolled her eyes and said haughtily, "There are more important things than those silly mules or mutts you're always wasting your time with."

Fate leaned into Dearche's shoulder gently nudging her and said, "Like someone's obsession with boy bands?"

The silver haired girl blushed scarlet and jumped away as she tried to form words of denial that didn't convince anyone. Fate smiled tenderly at this and the stuttering would-be denial before sighing at the girl, "I guess you don't want the signed CDs I have in my luggage or the posters Alicia was able to get signed when she was in the U.S., oh well I guess we can just throw them away, no one else will want them as they're all personalized with your name."

The girl looked like she was about to explode, the overwhelming highs and lows of the day left her unsure how to respond. Sagging her shoulders she just gave in and said in a pitiful voice, "Please don't tease us Fate. Do you really have gifts for us?"

Both Stern and Levi looked interested in the answer to this one. Though Stern's interest was more in the thought that Fate had considered them at all while Levi's thinking was more avarice in nature wondering what she'd got. Fate feeling a little bad at all the teasing she'd been heaping on the girls smiled at them and nodded. She'd have to remember they weren't her art students, or Einhart and Vivio, or Lucino and Alto, people who knew her reemerging playful nature.

Hugging the silver haired girl in tight for a moment Fate said, "Yes, we have presents for all of you. Alicia and I haven't been around in a long time, that's mostly my fault so I made sure to bring each of you a present. It's Christmas after all; did you really think I'd show up without presents?"

The girl shrugged, "You haven't been to visit us since your dad died. It's like you forgot all about us."

Pained a bit by this honest admission Fate tried to explain, "Dearche, I didn't forget you, any of you. I was trying to make a new life for myself. After dad died my aunt, uncle and nephew died barely months later. Einhart came to live with us and as much as I love the girl living with another person kinda freaked me out and I had to learn to balance that. Not to mention I had started a new job and had issues with dealing with a lot of my coworkers. When I finally had a chance to come back to France it was due to work and honestly all I wanted was quiet. I'm sorry I was so selfish, but I was so tired of being sad and stressed out. Between your mom and Lindy I had the best moms in the world watching over me growing up. But by that time she died I had already lost contact with Lindy and your mom's death was a shock. I didn't want to accept it. Coming here and not seeing her in the stables or the kitchen would have hurt too much back then."

The silver haired girl asked hesitantly, "Does that mean you'll visit us more often now?"

"Well that's not solely up to me anymore but I think Nanoha and I could find the time to come back in the summer. Levi is graduating this summer and I've miss both yours and Stern's so it would be nice to make up for that. Maybe we could all go on a trip to the seaside. I seem to remember you especially liked the ocean."

Stern looked at her strangely, bathing with family members she could sort of accept and wrap her mind around, Fate had been raised in Japan and group baths were a thing. But Fate sunbathing, Fate out in public in a swimsuit, nope, not feasible, there was no way Fate Testarossa would ever go for that. Fate didn't even wear shorts and a tank top to sleep in, heck she wore what her younger sisters would call granny panties. No way Fate would do anything other than huddle in a ball under the umbrella and sulk over being dragged out.

Levi thinking out loud said, "Would you be willing to even get into the water? Last time we went you hid under an umbrella and refused to go anywhere near the ocean. Complete waste of time for you and you were sort of a downer all day for everyone else."

Fate grimaced at the memory but turning her eyes on her fiancée she couldn't help imagining her in a swimsuit and that made her smile. Knowing Nanoha would expect her to wear swim gear and get out under the sun and water was a given, but if she was there then _maybe_ it could be fun. Nanoha pictured it, Fate in a tasteful one piece with maybe a mesh coverall while others were too close. Then later when they were alone she could strip Fate of that and rub sunscreen on that pale flesh, _ohhh yes they were doing this!_

The silent communicating of plans and desires flowed for a moment between the two women before an annoyed Shiro cleared his throat making Fate finally tear her eyes away. Coughing to clear her throat and cover up her slip she said, "Um, yes, I think so. I've come a fair way towards not being so body conscious. If we can rent a place with a private beach I think getting into the water shouldn't be an issue. Everyone here has a pretty good idea of what I'm hiding under my clothes, so it's not like anyone will be shocked or stare at me."

The black haired man thinking about safety asked, "Do you even know how to swim?"

Fate wrinkled her nose, "This property has a small pond which should **NOT** be used for swimming. Thanks to Alicia and it I know how to doggy paddle," then smiling a little evilly she said, "I guess I'll have to let Alicia install a pool at our house in Japan after all. I need to get a little practice swimming in before next summer."

"Fate-chan what are you planning?" Nanoha asked suspiciously.

"Hmm? Nothing dear. Alicia wants a pool. It's her house too so she can have it if she'll pay for it. Then once it's installed we can have a little get together, hmm I wonder if Carim would like to visit and run her ragged? I can just picture it, 'Oh pool-girl, get me a towel, pool-girl get me a drink, pool-girl rub lotion on me.' Heh-heh I just love the way she has that brat running round like a chicken without a head," Fate said with wide-eyed innocence.

Nanoha would have once gotten jealous over the idea of Fate thinking about another woman but honestly if you wanted to truly prank Alicia you needed Carim. Rather ironic as the older twin had thought she could use Carim to trick Nanoha into making a move. The beautiful blue eyed blonde now had Alicia dangling from her string. Smiling at Fate she said, "You're silly you know that right?"

Fate took that as acceptance for her idea and said, "Yes but you love me. Besides I'll be depending on you to properly teach me to swim."

Nanoha's blush at that made Fate's heart flutter. _Oh yes, this pool idea was a good one._

Einhart's eyes widened, "Really? You're serious… You've been fighting against that for ages. Please, please let's get a pool."

Fate pulled her mind from the gutter and smiled fondly at the girl saying, "Talk to Cia-nee when we get back to the house and help her plan it. Just remember to behave yourself properly in the water otherwise I'm going to turn it into a Koi pond. I've lived twenty-eight years without a personal pool without hardship, it's not a necessity."

Einhart jumped in the air shouting, "Yes," at the top of her lungs before turning to Vivio and lifted her up to spin hug her declaring, "We're getting a pool!"

Vivio laughed and wiggled so the girl would set her down, "You are so silly Ein-chan. I guess this means you can teach me to swim?"

The green haired girl looked surprised, "You don't know how to swim?"

The little blonde shrugged, "I never got a chance to learn. Even when we lived in England all we ever did was visit the shore side, grandmother didn't even want me to get wet, said the water was dirty. Mom wanted me to teach me but something always came up so she was going to sign me up for lessons. Grandmother found out and decided I _needed_ to take piano lessons instead."

"You play the piano?" Einhart asked astonished at this new piece of information.

Vivio was about to reply when Levi now getting bored broke in, "Hey are we riding horses today or not?!"

The younger teens blushed and nodded. Huffing at them she said, "Well if you're coming follow me. I swear you all just yap away wasting time."

The girls quickly hugged their elders then ran off to catch up with the blue haired girl. Fate was happy with the fact Levi was accepting Einhart and Vivio so well. She had been scared the girl would be jealous and resentful. But then again Vivio's exuberance over the horses made her a kindred spirit and Einhart was such an easy going person it would be hard to hate either of them. The sound of laughter was welcome to Fate as they walked away, the stables were meant to be a happy place.

Continuing the tour of the grounds they got to the gardens with the center piece arching arbor covered in climbing roses. In winter the whole thing was subdued as most of the plants hibernated for the winter. Only a few winter flowers bloomed, Hellebore in varying shards of white, pink and purples and the pure white Snowdrops dotted the landscape drawing the eye from the otherwise graying landscape. The arbor itself was designed as a semi-stage situated on a raised platform. In prior times this open space had been used as an outdoor classroom/lecture space. The sweet scent of blooming flowers and the carefully cultivated tapestry of their colors had made it a relaxing and inviting place.

Pulling out a small packet of orange flags from her back pocket Fate handed them to Nanoha who looked at her confused. The dark eyes that looked at her were warm and humored making it even more difficult to think straight.

The warm honeyed voice that spoke as Fate leaned into her said, "Pick where you want your ice sculptures to be placed."

Nanoha's eyes flew open and she gasped then she jump hugged Fate squealing. Pulling back she rained a flurry of kisses onto Fate's face and lips as she said, "Thank you," over and over again.

Shiro poked his daughter in the side and the woman finally calmed down blushing muttering an embarrassed, "sorry," to her father.

Eyeing Fate once more he realized he should have spent more time at those wedding planning meetings as he felt completely out of the loop. Scratching his forehead he asked, "Okay so what ice sculptures? And why is baby girl so surprised?"

Nanoha was smiled at her blushing fiancée and said, "Shario suggested them. But everyone said they'd be impractical. They're sculptures of little woodland animals, squirrels, bunnies, foxes, things like that. Oh…oh Fate-chan you didn't end up going with that woman with a website and paying that exorbitant amount for them did you?"

"No love, I just had to be brave and call a former colleague. Well more like hunt him down, Zest is a bigger recluse than I am. But once we spoke he agreed to do the job for a very reasonable price," Fate said then fished in her pocket for her cell phone and flicked open the photo gallery. Opening a series of photos sent to her a week ago she then handed the phone over to Nanoha, "Here they are. Mark on the path where you want them. They'll be delivered in the afternoon just before the wedding ceremony."

Shiro and the Starks sisters found themselves pressing into Nanoha's sides as she flipped through the photos. Nanoha desperately wanted to shove the phone into her father's hands and drag Fate off somewhere private and show her appreciation. Appreciation for the fact that Fate hadn't paid the exorbitant price tag the other ice sculptor had been charging but had done exactly what Shario had suggested. Fate had reached out to an equally shy and reserved artist they had gone to school with and asked for his help. After all it had been his sculptures she had fallen in love with, the others they had seen online seemed gaudy and flashy. Fate's hesitation to call the man had made her wonder but she didn't want to push Fate into talking about something she wasn't ready to share yet.

"So is he staying for the wedding?" Nanoha asked.

"I asked him, he said he might stick around, it depends on how he feels once he gets here. He's worst than me when it comes to crowds. Thank god your sister will be busy helping you, knowing her she'd tackle him and try to tie him down. He'll likely run first chance he gets," Fate said as she toed a loose stone.

Shaking her head Nanoha sighed, "I don't know if I really believe there's a male version of you running around. Shario kept saying that he's really cute in a scruffy puppy kind of way and had all the girls chasing after him but other than you and her he didn't really have many friends."

"We're not really friends, more like work associates. Shario adopted both of us forcibly and she'd not the kind of person you can really say no to or avoid. He stuck close to me in the hopes that I'd keep Shario off him," Fate replied as she concentrated on a plant on the ground.

"Do you not like him? Fate-chan, what's wrong?" Nanoha was beginning to feel concerned over Fate's behavior, was she hiding something?

The blonde's jaw worked for a moment as she frowned then her face went strangely calm and in her coolly remote voice said, "Nothing's wrong. Zest is a smart, wealthy and talented man who it has been pointed out to me is rather handsome. He's also a war veteran with PTSD so has the whole wounded warrior thing going for him that makes women fall for him."

Nanoha took this in and was getting more confused so she asked, "Did you have a crush on him too and now feel uncomfortable to have him around?"

The look in Fate's eyes betrayed her as they screamed, 'Are you nuts?!' but she maintained her cool tone, "No. It's just Shari's right he's a lot like me but _male,_ you wouldn't have to deal with all the technical stuff to get pregnant. I...I am scared you'll fall for him. You could have a normal life with him. I know he'll fall for you at first sight and…and then…"

Coming over to Fate Nanoha wrapped her arms around her neck pulling her close so she could catch the blonde's eyes with her own. The strange loneliness that she hadn't seen in a while was back in those beautiful burgundy eyes, loneliness and fear. Pressing their foreheads together Nanoha said, "Mine. My One and Only."

Fate's placid mask of remote calm broke as she smiled and blinked back tears of relief. Her heart which had been speeding up like a runaway car started to slow and the ache in her chest eased. The nascent jealousy she had been feeling shriveled and died. It wasn't often that she felt this way but stupid Shario had been harping on and on about how cool Zest was and how she would need to protect her claim on Nanoha. But it didn't work that way, yes Nanoha had said she owned her but Nanoha owned her just as much. If Nanoha ever decided to leave her for someone else, someone worthy of her who loved her and made her happy then it would be her duty to step aside and let her go. She'd rather die than do anything to make Nanoha unhappy.

Almost as if she could read her mind Nanoha growled, "You are mine Fate-chan, you are the one I choose now and forever. You won't get rid of me that easily."

The feeling of cool fingers slipping inside her sweater and working to untuck her undershirt made her smile widen. When she felt a finger outline one of her scars gently and the blatant want in Nanoha's eyes that screamed her desire she had to lean in to claim her lips. Pulling back after the brief but loving kiss she rubbed their noses together and replied, "All yours."

Dearche groaned, "Are you two always this lovey-dovey? How do people stand it?"

Shiro had been concerned as he watched Fate start to shut down. But seeing the pair work through this misunderstanding so lovingly made him feel even better about the marriage. That kiss he could have done without but he wouldn't grumble, well not too loudly anyway.

Hearing Dearche's words made him laugh in relief and agreement before saying, "Yes, they are oblivious lovebirds 24/7. But most people expect it from Nanoha since she comes from a family of lovebirds. Momoko and I are just as bad, as are Kyoya and his wife. That's how we knew this was the real thing; they can't stop touching each other. Considering Fate's normal aversion to touching this development has been pretty funny to watch. People who've known her for years see her wrapped around Nanoha or vise-a-versa and flip out. Fate still jumps like a scalded cat if anyone else tries move into her personal space without warning. But if it's Nanoha it's like her body recognizes her even if she can't see her and she just melts as soon Nanoha touches her."

Fate spoke without really thinking, "I always know when it's Nanoha. She feels good."

Sighing Shiro pulled them apart and pushed his daughter towards the path, "Enough, get to work or you'll make us late for dinner."

Stern had taken in the exchange and seeing the remote look return to Fate's face had been disconcerting. Here was the girl she remembered then Nanoha had banished her. Was the person she thought she knew nothing but a façade? The loving looks and touches, their honest heartfelt words all shook her confidence. Who was Fate Testarossa?

Before leaving the garden the couple had marked off not only where the ice sculptures would go but also the floral runners. After working with a florist the engaged couple had designed a number of runners, wreaths and arrangements that could be laid out that featured white roses and dyed blue orchids accompanied by a number of smaller white and blue flowers whose names escaped Fate's mind but would make the wedding ceremony a beautiful riot of sky colors in an icy wonderland. The upcoming wedding would be a beautiful dream come true in a winter wonderland.

~"~"~"~

When they returned to the house everyone was pink cheeked from the cold and was happily surprised at the sight of Lindy, Momoko and Arf in the kitchen whipping up a sweet hot treat for the household. The heavenly scent of Harlaown hot chocolate and Takamachi cinnamon rolls filled the room. If there had ever been a question about whether this was the real Fate Testarossa it was dispelled now, she was drooling. Lindy was juggling a hot saucepan while Momoko was handling a large baker's pan of cinnamon rolls, leaving a pregnant Arf to set up trays of mugs and plates.

Good manners had Fate reaching out to her friend to greet her while her nose continued to follow the baking pan. After being released she trailed closer to Momoko to greet her future mother-in-law and to _help._ Momoko saw through her act and smacked her hand as she tried to snag the first hot roll. The shutdown was total with the 'I don't think so,' look on the older woman's face. It didn't help Shiro was now guarding the pans as he added the freshly made icing to the hot baked goods. Making a tactical retreat the blonde turn back to her fiancée to pout and hopeful gain support when she realized her fiancée was only seconds away from smothering her best friend.

When Nanoha first saw Arf she threw her arms around her and hugged her tightly. She was thankful for her assistance with the Scrya affair and her support of her relationship with Fate. In Arf they had a good friend and talking to her about chibi Fate was something neither of them could get tired of. So when Nanoha found out Arf was pregnant it had filled her with excitement and plans for spoiling the child. True she was slightly jealous but outside her wedding with Fate, Arf's pregnancy was the only other thing to fill her mind. Now seeing the red haired woman standing before she just had to rub the small baby bump and begin cooing over the woman. Fate seeing her friend was beginning to feel overwhelmed came over and moved between Arf's tummy and Nanoha, it was time for an intervention.

Pulling Nanoha's hand off gently Fate said "Congratulations again on your pregnancy."

Sapphire eyes looked longingly at the glowing Arf's tummy but put up no fuss at being pulled away from her new favorite toy. Sighing Nanoha said with yearning, "I hope we get pregnant quickly. It would be so nice if our children could grow up friends."

Fate hugged Nanoha tightly and nuzzled her neck, "It will happen when it's meant to be love. We just have to be patient with Carim-sensei and not stress out, remember stressing out will just make it harder."

Nanoha lifted her head and kissed Fate's temple and said, "I know Fate-chan but that doesn't stop me from feeling jealous of Arf. She's going to have a baby with the person she loves most, that's what I want so bad it hurts."

Arf watching the pair smiled, "Just be patient Nanoha. If there's one thing I know about Fate it's she'll never give up. I'm not sure what all goes into the process Doc Carim will be putting you through but Fate wouldn't have even considered it if it didn't have a good chance at success."

Stern had instantly moved in to help Lindy set the sauce pan down upon entering the room and older woman looked at the girl, "Oh my Stern dear look at you honey, you look just like your mama."

The girl's eyes flickered to Momoko and Nanoha which made the teal haired woman laugh, "Oh no. You and your mama might physically resemble the Takamachis but I don't think anyone would ever confuse you. I had forgotten how pretty you Starks girls were when I met Nanoha. Ha, I had wondered why it felt like I'd seen her somewhere before."

Seeing Fate was now wrapped around her bride and didn't look to be moving she winked at the girl before walking over to the seemingly conjoined couple. She then pulled the blonde away from her bride-to-be and with a peeved tone said, "Oh I see how it is, all the beautiful young women get your attention now. You really have been spending too much time with that sister of yours."

Fate blushed and hugged her mom, "Sorry mom. You were busy and I didn't want to upset you when you were carrying hot milk."

"Humph, likely story. Now I've met Momo-chan and the other Takamachi children, and Arf and her family as Norbert was kind enough to let us in when we arrived at the same time. Arfy's husband is such a doll, and his family is so kind. But that Hayate child is something else, I think she might have been flirting with me, her girlfriend actually hit her and told her to behave, is that normal?" Lindy replied.

Nanoha groaned, "I'm so sorry Lindy-mama. My best friend is an idiot and she really can't help herself. She was spoiled as a child and never really grew up."

The elder woman smiled and shook her head, "So she really is just like Alicia then huh, I hadn't expected to meet another incorrigible child like that."

Lindy and Nanoha hugged and the older woman took in the relaxed and happy glow about the younger woman. It really shouldn't surprise Stern that she didn't look like Nanoha. You could feel the auburn haired woman's presence when she entered a room; she was what her late husband called a lighthouse. Nanoha led her over to Shiro Takamachi and introduced them. The dark haired man also had a strong and caring presence like his wife; it was no wonder their children were such bright creatures. Then Lindy felt her teal eyes being pulled back over to Stern and saw the girl was now trying to make herself useful by helping with setting up the trays. The girl was a little grey rain cloud, just like her mother. Mona Starks was a good woman but she was a worrywart, the kind of woman who babied everyone else around her since they were all helpless children who needed her protection.

Then Lindy's mother radar picked up trouble, stretching her neck she saw Dearche do something to one of the cups of hot chocolate. Shaking her head she excused herself from the Takamachis, apparently that particular physical model was troublesome no matter the name given.

Huffing and with one hand on her hip Lindy called out to the silver haired girl, "Dearche! Get over here child and give me a hug."

The girl slunk over and was going to try to get away with a half hug when Lindy caught her and pulled her in to whisper in her ear, "Don't think I didn't see you already starting trouble. If you ruin all my hard work I'll have you washing dishes until the New Year. So now be a good little girl and carry that tray into the dining room and serve yourself that cup you were fiddling with."

Dearche just paled, gulped and nodded. Having been released the girl made her way back to the counter like a condemned man.

Fate was now safely secure in Nanoha's grasp again used the distraction to whisper poutingly in her ear, "Na-no-ha, love I really want one of those rolls but your mom won't let me have one, she's being mean to me."

Looking up into pathetic burgundy puppy eyes Nanoha felt whatever backbone she possessed melt into a puddle. She was about to start battling with her mother to acquire a preview sample for her spoiled brat of a fiancée when Chrono and his family entered the kitchen. They had heard the increased noise level and assumed the missing members of the household had returned. Nanoha still had little love for Chrono but adored Amy and their twins who she had instantly moved over to hug and fawn over. Poor Chrono, he was currently sinking in Fate's estimation as he stood between her and cinnamon rolls.

By the time all the food and drink was placed on serving trays and carried into the dining room the sweet scent had permeated every inch of the house. Bringing everyone in from their nooks throughout the house, even the teens had found their way in for a hot beverage and tasty baked treat. Fate was guarding her lone cinnamon roll from depredation, her sister and cousin were eyeing the slowly being consumed morsel like circling vultures. Fate refused to gulp it down, this had been freshly made by Momoko for her and Shiro had perfectly iced it, she would savor it. Nanoha was trying her best to help Fate guard her treat by glaring at the vultures but Arf was undermining her efforts. The evil red head found teasing her old friend by tickling her side was very fun. Especially as it gave either of the hovering vultures a chance to strike out with a fork towards Fate's plate. Nanoha tried to smack Arf's hand away from tickling the blonde but honestly she loved the little pouting look Fate made as she tried to guard the sweet so she wasn't putting in as much effort as she could have.

When Fate took the last bite of her pastry Chrono applauded her and teased, "Get use to it Fate-chan, once you're a mama your little ones will run off with your snacks as soon as you blink. I don't think I actually got to taste mine, you saw the twins, like little vacuum cleaners and if you tell them no they just turn on the puppy eyes and turn you into mush."

Fate smirked at her brother, "You're just a softy. I've seen squirrels hustle you."

The agreeing laughter and shouts at that from the family had everyone laughing harder especially when the man turned red and tried to deny it. Stern was sure she had fallen into an episode of the Twilight Zone, the laughing and joking now going on was nothing like what she expected when she had been told Fate was coming home to get married. She had seen Fate and Chrono together while growing up. Had been there when _their_ engagement had been announced and Fate had been silent as the grave about the matter. Now Fate was now sitting across from her former betrothed and his family with her fiancée smiling and laughing like this was _normal_.

~"~"~"~

After the snack and some good natured teasing the group broke up again. The elders in the group pushing the couple to go take a nap as both looked fatigued from the flight and their long walk in the cold. It didn't take much convincing and the two withdrew to their room. Closing the door and locking it Fate then sagged into it. Seeing this Nanoha came over and quickly divested her of her sweater and undid her pants.

Breath suddenly uneven Fate said, "Nanoha, we have to behave, you're…my…ah our family is just on the other side of this door."

Fate couldn't think, let alone speak coherently as she felt lips kiss down her neck and soft hands begin to play under her shirt. Then she lost the shirt and the lacy black bra she wore made Nanoha purr in satisfaction. I had been years since she had worn the plain cotton underwear of her childhood. Upon moving out Alicia and Shario had in a rare moment of cooperation had taken her underwear shopping. At first she had tried to reject the offer and the far too pretty (or risqué) lingerie they tried to hoist on her. The very real threat of them stripping then dressing her like an oversized doll was the only reason why she had complied. She had gone along thinking, 'Just because they bought it doesn't mean I have to wear it,' then all her _normal_ underclothes disappeared.

It was only when Nanoha came into her life that she really felt gratitude for what they had done. Nanoha liked the contrast of the dark lacy undergarments against her pale skin. The garments themselves didn't make her feel sexy, but the appreciative look in Nanoha's eyes sure did. The sight of some of the so-called boring underwear in Nanoha's drawer had made her smile. The dark blush on her lover's face at her seeing the, in her words, "pathetically safe underwear" made Nanoha very cute. Fate had just nuzzled her and said, "It doesn't matter what you're wearing anyway, I'm just going to undress you anyway."

Fate hadn't seen that underwear again and upon thinking about it that result made her a little happy. Nanoha wanted to appear attractive to her (she always did but more so). Nanoha had very good taste in lingerie and it was clear it gave her a confidence boost (a confident Nanoha was a sexy Nanoha). Nanoha no longer owned any of the undergarments she wore during her first marriage (no wonder it was all boring).

As Nanoha pulled her pants off the trailing fingers on her skin made her lightheaded. Holding on to Nanoha's shoulders she stepped out of them then helped her up. Quick fingers removed the auburn haired woman's outer clothing also. Smiling at the matching lacy orange pantie and bra set she then began to rain down kisses on her. Nanoha finally pulled her into a hug and pressed her face into Fate's neck, huffing she said, "You're really unfair you know that?"

Liking the way the warm body was pressed into her Fate really wasn't thinking anymore, "Hmm?"

"You do all these wonderful and sweet things for me, you act all cute and vulnerable, you look and taste so delicious but won't let me eat you up," whined Nanoha.

Confused now Fate asked, "Who said you couldn't? I'm pretty sure I didn't say no."

Pulling back and looking at Fate incredulously she said, "Our families are on the other side of this door? Sound familiar?"

This made Fate laugh, "Since when has that stopped you? I'm pretty sure you like it when I struggle a little and act shy; you kind of just admitted it a second ago. So I said the first thing that came to mind."

Nanoha glared at the laughing blonde before picking her up by the hips and dropping them on the bed. Growling, "You better be thankful we're getting married in two days or I'd leave a trail of love bites down your neck, but I really don't want to deal with the consequences of that kind of rashness," then looking down at Fate's cleavage she said, "Hmm but I still need to get my revenge for all your teasing so I think I'll leave a few in some strategic places."

When Fate felt a hot mouth on the underside of her breasts leaving throbbing love marks on her flesh she shuddered. Not once had this tender abuse of her flesh make her fearful, Nanoha would not hurt her, she was claiming her. The idea of the beautiful vivacious woman staking a claim over her filled her with a mad need to give over everything she was to her. Laying back open and exposed she let Nanoha have her way, seeing this Nanoha felt the mood shift from teasing playfulness to one of tender reassertion of their love.

Moving back up she kissed Fate and pulled her close. Burying her face in the crook of Fate's neck she said, "I love you. I really would like to make love to you right now. But with so many people in the house I'm pretty sure someone will figure it out then we'll be teased relentlessly at dinner. So for right now will it be alright if I just hold you?"

Fate smiled and kissed the top of Nanoha's head and said, "I'd love that. But we can make love if you want, it's not like anyone is sitting just outside our door waiting to catch us."

"I wouldn't put it past Miyuki. She's probably waiting out there with a glass against the door just so she can knock on it once things get hot and heavy," Nanoha grumbled.

The secret smile Fate wore would have tipped off Nanoha that Fate was hiding something had she seen it but she was now snuggling in deeper into Fate and feeling the fatigue of the long flight and morning. Wrapped up tight together the pair fell into a peaceful doze.

A couple hours later the pair was awoken by Fate's cell phone ringing. The snuffling noises and rough sound of Fate's voice when she answered made Alicia laugh, which in turn brought forth growls from the sleepy recipient.

"Aww, Poor widdle Fate-chan, did the big bad Nanoha keep you up? Well you'll just have to suck it up, it's almost dinner time and the Nakajimas just arrived. You need to get down here and protect the Starks sisters from Subaru, the idiot keeps trying to poke their faces and saying weird stuff to them."

"Cia-nee, why do I get the feeling you are just antagonizing the whole situation and are waiting for me to come downstairs to a warzone?"

The sound of sniffling came over the phone and the pained words in Alicia's annoying high pitched _wounded_ voice, "Imōto you would really think so lowly of me? I would never instigate an argument especially when everyone is already emotional and high strung from this wedding."

There was a moment of silence then the click of Fate disconnecting the call without a word. Alicia laughed, she loved cell phones as you can't slam them down like a landline. Stuffing the phone back in her pocket she then went back to planning how she would antagonize Levi. A little more and maybe she could get a love triangle to form between her, Subaru and Teana, heh-heh that little red head girl needed to loosen up.

Carim came into the room at that moment and asked, "I thought you were going to wake your sister up?"

Smiling appreciatively at the way the older woman moved, she was like a graceful queen, her queen. Seeing Alicia was zoning out again Carim sighed, "Cia, did you just say that so you could sneak away? You promised you'd behave and not cause any trouble for your sister, remember?"

Closing the distance between them the mischievous blonde said, "I called her on her cell phone and woke her up. She asked me wake her up that way. I didn't even say it was the front desk calling with her wake up call. Fufufu I did that once when she was out of town and freaked her out. It was three in the morning, I told her it was nine and she freaked out over being late. I love my sister."

Carim shook her head at this admission her blue eyes shutting briefly in resignation that the woman she loved was such a child. Reaching out she flicked Alicia's nose gently with her finger before leaning in and kissing the spot then her lips. Pulling back before the younger woman could escalate the kiss she said, "You are incorrigible. How your sister has dealt with you all these years is beyond me. I've known Hayate for years and I have to say you are worse by far."

Alicia took in the signs of disapproval and the fact that the kiss had been so brief made her frown and suddenly defensive, "I told you I wasn't Fate-chan, if you want cute and innocent you picked the wrong sister."

Annoyed by this outburst Carim took Alicia's chin in her hand and said, "I told you before I want Alicia Testarossa, the science geek. I want the prankster. I want the woman who makes me laugh and feel good. If you have to be jealous be jealous of my former relationship with Hayate. I don't want your sister and even if I did I don't have a death wish, Nanoha would kill me if I tried something…. I've seen the way she looks at her," then tipping Alicia face she leaned in to press their foreheads together and said, "It's the same way I look at you. It's possessive and loving, it screams her attraction and devotion, it's like her eyes can only see one person. The figure of the one she loves."

At these words Carim pressed her mouth to Alicia's and demandingly drank her down. Alicia shuddered, no one had ever dominated her before. No one had ever taken the time to learn her weaknesses, everyone before had just taken her at face value and had never looked closer. Not until this all-consuming woman had entered her life.

A throat clearing caused the couple to break apart blushing. Hayate and Rein had walked in from the other side door but hadn't wanted to interrupt. But the fact that Carim was beginning to undo buttons as she pressed her girlfriend to the wall made it imperative to stop them before things went x-rated. Rein looked at the flushed faces and protective stance Carim instantly took on upon seeing her.

Tired of the drama Rein said, "Enough already, you said it yourself. You are the one who had a _relationship_ with my girlfriend. You're the one who broke up with her then had the shamelessness to ask her to help you get with another woman. I love Hayate-chan, look in my eyes you idiot woman and you'd see that. Alicia is a lot of fun and can be silly but that's not enough to make me want her."

The disbelieving look on Carim's face made Rein roll her eyes and say in frustration, "Jeez-Louise woman okay I'll admit it, I think Alicia is physically attractive, but so is Fate, Nanoha, Ginga, Alisa and Suzuka. I am friends with all of them, just like I'd like to be friends with you two. It'd make things a bit more comfortable seeing how I don't plan on ever leaving Hayate-chan and she's best friends with Nanoha, who in turn is attached at the hip with Fate who in turn trails that blonde idiot behind her like a hyperactive tail. In fact Carim-sensei, Hayate-chan and I want to talk to you about having a child of our own. I know you need to get the lovebirds taken care of first but once you're successful with them we'd like to go next."

Shocked would best describe Carim's response to this, but of course leave it to Alicia to break the tension. Looking at the silver haired woman she said, "Eh you sure you want to breed with that one? You've met Dearche and while there's no genetic relationship I can find I'm about 99.9% sure any kids you two have will be just as bratty as that one. And a groper too."

Carim smacked her girlfriend on the arm then turned to Rein and said seriously, "You honestly think I can help you have a child?"

The normally irreverent Hayate took Rein's hand and said, "Look I know you don't like Rein-chan, but please Carim-san help us. As a friend to me at least, Rein-chan and I really want this and only you can help us."

Shaking her head in denial, "I'm not trying to make you beg. I'm just… I'm surprised you believe in me. That you think I'll succeed."

Rein smiled at her and came over to the older woman to pat her on the arm, "Carim-sensei, if Fate trusts you with Nanoha then I know you'll succeed. You won't have any other choice with those two. By the time you're done with them Hayate-chan and I will look like fluffy kittens. I really pity you having to deal with Fate; she is going to be breathing down your neck every step of the way once you start the harvesting and implantation process. Just remember no sudden moves around Nanoha, don't look at Nanoha too long and if Fate compliments Nanoha agree but don't try to do it on your own."

Alicia choked back a bark of laughter, "Why do I sense a little sarcasm there regarding my baby sister?"

"Cia exactly how much older than Fate are you?" Rein asked.

Standing straight she said, "Twenty-three minutes, those were very informative minutes I'll have you know."

Three women looked at her like she was crazy. Carim finally sighed and kissed her girlfriend saying, "God help me but I do love you."

This made the blonde twin smile radiantly and Hayate groan, "My gawd what is it with Testarossa women, they all attract women who turn them into saps."

Shaking her head Rein took hold of her girlfriend and said, "Ah-huh and you're not guilty of sappiness. Anyways Momoko-san sent us to look for you two. Fate and Nanoha appeared rather quickly down stairs but you two had then disappeared."

Gulping Alicia took Carim's arm and said, "Let's not keep Mama-bear waiting."

~"~"~"~

Nanoha had been less than thrilled with the fact that Ginga was coming to the wedding but the woman had long ago learned to keep her hands to herself for the most part when it came to Fate. Ginga now only flirted with Fate when she wanted to annoy Nanoha, which honestly wasn't too often but as she found Nanoha's death glares quite cute so she really couldn't help herself (not that she'd admit that and risk being punched).

The purple haired beauty was currently derailing all of Alicia's work at directing Levi's attention towards Subaru by showering all her own attention on the girl. She was far too young for her tastes but the fact that she so closely resembled the twins made it impossible to resist teasing the girl. She had tried to tease the Stern girl but she had given her such an offended look that even Ginga couldn't misconstrue it as playing hard to get. Leaving her alone seemed the wisest thing to do. While Dearche was keeping her distance and kept redirecting her to Levi, such an evilly cute little thing.

The stuttering blue haired girl was blushing hard as the purple haired woman played with her hair. The other teens in the room watched with varying levels of amusement and horror. Everyone of them had been subjected to her teasing at sometime, Erio still had nightmares of the evil glares Caro had sent his way for _letting_ the woman touch him. Finally no longer able to allow the torment to go on Einhart decided to throw herself in harm's way to save the girl.

Coming up behind the older woman she threw her arms around her neck and said, "Ginga-onee you haven't told us about your trip. Did you get me any presents?"

Smiling at the green haired girl she release Levi and immediately pulled Einhart onto her lap. Einhart went willingly enough, it would be embarrassing but the woman was harmless. As Ginga spoke she petted the girl's face and played with her hair. She never touched anywhere inappropriate but the intensity of her eyes could make you feel like she was striping you bare. Vivio was biting her tongue and was barely holding back her Takamachi territorialness. As far as she was concerned she'd throw anyone at the Ginga if it kept her from touching Einhart…and Fate, family solidarity had to be upheld.

Coming into the room Fate saw it all, Levi now shrunk into a ball in the corner of the couch, Stern's outraged look, Dearche's sadistic amusement, Vivio shaking with Takamachi possessiveness, Subaru's goofy obliviousness, Teana's disapproval, Caro's holding Erio in a preemptive territorial claim and the boy clinging back just as fiercely. And at the center of it all Einhart's resigned look as she was being petted by Ginga. Nanoha was more than ever annoyed with the inclusion of the woman, the damn woman needed to learn about personal space.

Fate smiled and said, "Ginga-chan, it's good to see you. How was your flight?"

Immediately Ginga released Einhart and stood up to hug her friend, the evil glare Nanoha gave her on her way towards them made her want to push the woman's buttons all the more. _But_ she was here for their wedding and she really didn't want to be evicted by the auburn haired woman so she restrained herself.

Giving the blonde a quick half hug Ginga said, "Lovely, Su-su was soo cute, she used Tea-chan for a pillow. I have pictures. Caro-chan and Erio-kun were angels as usually, I swear those two will be married before they're twenty, such precious little darlings," Ginga cooed then turned to Nanoha and gave her an equally quick and restrained hug, grinning she said, "Nanoha darling you look lovely. Love really does suit you, congratulations once again. I can't believe this day has come. Our little Fate-chan is all grown up, and it's all thanks to you.

Nanoha wasn't sure how to take this newly restrained Ginga, the woman loved to hang all over people, could it be she did have a smidgen of common sense after all? The others seeing the change in her behavior were shocked, but Fate knew the truth. Ginga loved her friends and family and always put them before herself, and right now climbing all other either of them would annoy Nanoha and cause further stress.

Before Nanoha had a chance to even say anything Subaru tackled Fate and said excitedly, "Fate-sensei it's so good to see you. The plane ride was so long but it was nice, Tea-chan let me have the window seat."

Fate hugged the girl and had just finished welcoming her when Teana peeled her off so she could hug Fate. The goofy girl just shrugged and latched onto Nanoha next for another hug. Teana's hug was quick but heartfelt as was her rather formal greeting. Fate barely maintained a straight face at this. Poor little Subaru had her work cut out for her to break her completely out of her shell but out of everyone she was the only one Teana really depended upon. Ginga and Genya might be her surrogate family but Subaru was the light of her life. Fate really feared for the day when someone tried to separate the pair, World War Three would break out, Teana the Tsundere would awaken.

The increasing number of people made the household seem like it was about to burst at the seams but Fate was enjoying every second of it. All her favorite people were here to celebrate her marriage to the one person in the world who had ever made her feel whole and truly safe. In Nanoha's eyes was the love and acceptance she had never even allowed herself to dream about. After dinner everyone spent some time in the oversized living room on the multitude of couches where Fate sat with Rin and Maki on her lap, both the dark haired toddlers loved their auntie Fate and playing with her long hair. Nanoha had little Shiro on her lap as he hated to be left out and enjoyed the cuddles from his beautiful aunts.

Caro and Liera were leaning over the back of the couch over Fate's shoulders to make faces at the little girls and talking to them. The crowding into Fate's personal space at that moment would have sent a younger Fate into a silent panic attack but after years of acclimation from Alicia and Einhart, then her art students on a whole and her more intense _training_ from Nanoha she found it easier for her to accept people into her personal space. Especially when the people entering it was someone she loved and trusted. Stern felt like everything she knew about Fate was being disproved, where was the shy and quiet woman whose serious and aloof nature made her the secret crush of her childhood.

Falling for Fate hadn't been something she had planned to do, after all her baby sister and grandmother looked just like the older girl. The fact that Alicia was also running around made it difficult to ever truly distinguish Fate from the crowd of much more lively blondes on parade. It was only when the older girl had started teaching Dearche how to draw that Stern had truly learned to distinguish between the sisters. Seeing the quiet girl struggle to communicate and express herself had made her want to wrap her up in a protective bubble. Asking to be taught to paint by Fate had been terrifying because she had been scared if Fate said yes she'd do something stupid and make the girl hate her. Having Fate's fleeting glances on her and hearing her soft hesitant voice speaking instructions and guidance had made her young heart ache to shelter her. But now that person was gone and in her place was a person she didn't recognize. What had these people done to her Fate?

The fact that Nanoha looked so much like her made Stern angry, obviously Fate had felt an attraction to her but hadn't been able to act upon it and then this stranger had taken advantage of her inclination and stolen her away. Not only stolen her but had somehow forced her to change to suit her selfish desires. If Stern wanted to stop this farce from going forward she'd need to do something and fast. In two days Fate would be marrying this impostor and all her childhood dreams would be just that dreams. Before seeing Nanoha she had been ready to relinquish the blonde and stand back while _her_ Fate married another but now it was clear Fate just needed to have her eyes opened to who she really needed to protect her.

~"~"~"~

Fate settled onto the bed and reached for Nanoha who immediately rolled over to snuggle with her lover. The feeling of warmth and love radiating from Nanoha made this her favorite time of day. To have Nanoha all to herself and just bask in her love as the auburn haired woman wrapped herself around her blending the lines of where each of them started and ended. The warmth making her feel as if she were melting and becoming part of some greater whole. As Nanoha's hand slid under her pajama top and skimmed up her back she sighed and curled in tighter into the smaller body. Hot breath grazed her neck before soft lips pressed themselves to her pulse point and lightly sucked making her moan and squirm with need. Whimpering she called out, "Nanoha, love please. Don't tease me."

Pushing Fate over onto her back Nanoha then moved to straddle her hips and let her hands trailed down the front of Fate's top before finding the last button and slowly undoing it as she looked Fate deeply in the eyes. The heated look in Nanoha's eyes made the throbbing at her center grow exponentially. The soft words of love and need Nanoha whispered to her as she peeled back her top and left her torso exposed to the hungry eyes, hands and mouth made her shiver in anticipation. Soft hands outlined the contours of her body, gently touching and teasing, making it difficult to breathe as the fire began to grow in her belly. A flicking tongue descended down her body tasting and teasing before it stopped to outline a particularly sensitive scar on her stomach then move lower to tease her belly button. Fate sighed and let her hands slide into Nanoha's thick hair. The auburn tresses were a tactile treat to her sensitive hands as she let them comb through the long silky locks.

Nanoha moved lower still pulling at Fate's drawstring pants and panties in order to reach her ultimate goal. She had been rather stupid this past week, the night before had resolved lingering issues but had not allowed sufficient time to…ahem make up for the loneliness both had felt. Tomorrow night they would sleep apart and that thought made her desperate to love Fate as much as possible tonight to stave off the impeding loneliness. She would try to sneak into Fate's bed tomorrow night but between her mother, sister and best friends she doubted she'd be able to escape tomorrow's enforced separation. Damn tradition and the horse it rode in on!

Kissing the tender flesh of Fate's inner thigh and enjoying the little noises Fate made Nanoha breathe in deeply and reveled in the musky scent of her lover's arousal. It made her insanely happy to know she did this to Fate, she was the only one to make Fate ache with need, and she was the only one who could assuage that ache. Letting her tongue tease up the moist slit, barely pushing into its hidden treasure she restrained herself from diving in, she wanted to make this night last. Lapping at the hot flower drinking in its sweet nectar she teased around the highly sensitive nub making Fate groan with desperate need and her hips buck into her lover's face. She was about to grasp Fate's hips when the blonde grabbed her and pulled her up for a hard kiss.

The tangle of tongues and the feeling of long teasing fingers on her breasts made Nanoha groan into Fate's mouth. Pulling back Fate looked into dark sapphire eyes and pressed small kisses on Nanoha's cheeks, chin, nose, eyes and forehead. Whispering she said ardently, "I love you so much."

When Nanoha tried to move back down to reclaim her prize Fate stopped her and pushed her onto her back. Then with a slight blush she said, "Together."

Climbing onto Nanoha with a shuddering breath she quickly found Nanoha's overheated center. The tender flesh was pink and moist, and begging for attention. As Fate dipped her head Nanoha pulled at her hips and found the perfect position to tease the engorged flesh and make the blonde above her squirm. Both knew each other's weak spots and after a few minutes of teasing licks they both fell into devouring their partner wholly. The release when it came was mind blowing and left Fate weak. Rolling off her lover so as to not crush her she soon found herself being cuddled by Nanoha, the sapphire eyed woman had crawled over to her and arranged herself to drape over the limp blonde.

Sheets and blankets were now a tangled heap on the floor and the slight chill to the room made the shared warmth all the more special for the few minutes they snuggled together. When Fate nuzzled Nanoha's forehead pressing kisses to her and breathing hotly into her ear, "I love you. I want you so much."

Nanoha shivered as Fate pushed her back and languidly began to kiss and stroke her body making it difficult to control her cries. Biting her lips only did so much as talented fingers pulled at sensitive peaks and brushed along her curves. When the evil blonde took her mouth once more as her skillful fingers found her hot need, the groaning moan as two fingers worked their way into her was swallowed whole by the voracious blonde. Each thrust and curl of fingers made it harder to control her mouth. Fate loved the sounds and didn't worry about how loud Nanoha was becoming as the room was soundproofed. All the rooms were but that didn't mean she was going to tell her lover that just yet. Nanoha looked so sexy trying to hold back her moans and it made it all the more fun to try and coerce those delectable sounds from her.

When Nanoha came with a loud gasping cry clinging to her lover her face was utterly flushed. She knew she had to have been heard, _oh gawd what would their family and friends say in the morning?!_ Fate's satisfied smile made Nanoha pout; poking the blonde sluggishly she said in an exhausted voice, "I don't know why you're looking so smug. Papa will likely have you running laps or some kind of crazy obstacle course to relieve you of your _excess_ energy after hearing us. Heaven only knows how long it will take for Hayate to stop teasing us."

"Hmm, well if I'm already in trouble I don't see why I shouldn't go whole hog then," Fate said with a wicked grin pouncing on Nanoha and continued her erotic assault on the heavenly body of her lover.

Nanoha tried to muffle her cries with her hands then her pillow but Fate would just pull them away as she kissed and teased. When Fate pushed her over the edge for the fourth or maybe fifth time Nanoha gave up trying to restrain herself and just gave in. She desperately wanted to return to favor but Fate was being too dominating and it felt so good. Struggling for breath and feeling like melted butter Nanoha touched Fate's face gently as she tried to speak, "Love, as much as I enjoyed that I didn't realize you were such an exhibitionist. The whole house must know how good you make me feel by now."

Fate smiled and kissed the soft fingers before finally admitting to the truth, "I highly doubt that love. These rooms are all soundproofed. Dad had the whole house remodeled when he bought it. A lot of the artists that stayed with us were major prima donnas who couldn't stand the sound of another person nearby. You could set off fireworks in these rooms and no one would be the wiser. Um please don't ask me how I know that."

Nanoha was shocked at the sneakiness of her lover but relieved that she wouldn't be facing a household of teasing in the morning. Giving Fate a fake glare she leaned over and kissed her before saying, "You're awful. I was so worried but in the end I just had to give up and I have to admit, I like being loud with you."

Cuddling in Fate held her lover tightly, "I like it too but I'd never do anything to embarrass you love. I know neither of us would survive the teasing if our family and friends actually heard us making love. But I have to say you look incredibly sexy when you try to stifle your voice."

"You are horrible," Nanoha groaned into Fate's neck as she began to maneuver herself into position to get her revenge.

Making Fate cry out in passion became an excellent pastime for Nanoha as she rediscovered all her secret sensitive spots. It was well into the early morning hours before they finally fell into a restful sleep.

~"~"~"~

A/N2: Okay now onto finishing my final edit for the next part which is shorter than this one but still pretty meaty. So sorry about the delay in uploading, hopefully this back to back upload will make up for it. Please review…I missed hearing from all of you folks.


	14. Chapter 14: Wedding Pt2

A/N: Thanks to all who reviewed the last chapter, I love reading them and they give me the urge to keep writing. So much love to all who have followed, favorited and reviewed my story so far. Oh about the job situation it's not all bad, I had a job interview and I think I did pretty well. I should know this week if I got the job so everyone send me positive vibes please.

Thanks again to CrazyLikeArt for the Italian translation!

Disclaimer: I don't own MGLN; if I did there would have been a wedding at the end of StrikerS between our lovely ladies. Vivio would have made a cute flower girl...sigh.

~"~"~"~

Chapter 14 - Wedding Part Two

The next day was spent overseeing most of the vendors delivering goods and the set up for the reception dinner and the canopy that would cover the seated guests in the garden. The weather wasn't terribly frigid but it wouldn't do to spend more time than necessary outside for the older guests. The reception room that led into the dining room had its doors taken down so more tables could be set up for the dinner. The cloak room was cleaned out so it could actually be used to hold the guests' winter wear once they returned from the frosty wedding ceremony.

To prevent any issues developing Ginga had taken her lot back to the village. The remaining teens were sent out of the house to keep them out from under people's feet. Vivio, Einhart and Levi were becoming fast friends, with Levi becoming increasingly infatuated with an oblivious Vivio. Vivio was more or less infatuated with the horses and still slightly paranoid that Einhart found Levin attractive. Dearche seeing an opportunity to cause trouble decided to follow the teens around and stir the pot. The weird love triangle wasn't going anywhere though as Vivio was clearly in love with Einhart and the green haired girl while fixated on the heterochromatic eyed blonde she seemed to trust her explicitly. Bored Dearche strode into the house and declared Fate and Nanoha needed a break. The pair was suddenly being forced from the house by their family and friends who all declared a small break would do them good. Following the young woman back to the stables they saddled the horses and had the younger women join them.

Nanoha had ridden a couple of times in the past during company retreats but wasn't very comfortable on horseback. Even after only one day on horseback Vivio was showing more confidence than she was. Fate stayed close to her fiancée as the younger females of the group galloped and frolicked ahead of them. Soon they were out on one of the paths that split into two, one was a cleared path and the other had downed logs for practice jumping, seeing Nanoha and Vivio's discomfort she directed them to take the easier route. While Dearche egged on Einhart and Levi setting the girls off on a race. The girls were soon racing up and down the path taking jumps like mad women making Vivio cringe as she feared for both of their lives.

Fate shook her head and called out, "Slow down."

Einhart immediately reined in her horse, she had learned long ago when Fate told you something you did it, she didn't give out many orders or instructions but when she did one was expected to comply. Levi not having seen Fate in a while and naturally more rambunctious continued and found herself taking a fall after the horse slid on a patch of ice. Fate seeing this took off faster than either girl had gone before and jumped brush higher than the logs without hesitation. Coming to the girl she jumped off while the horse was still coming to a trotting stop not worried about anything but the fallen girl. Carefully checking over the quietly sobbing girl she confirmed no broken bones or dislocations and helped the bruised girl to her feet.

Hugging the girl Fate said admonishingly, "Listen to me next time. My god Levin what if you had been seriously hurt or killed? People die from these types of accidents all the time. You have to respect your steed and environment when riding, what would your mother have said at your recklessness?"

The girl held onto Fate and cried harder apologizing. Shaking her head she led her back to her horse, Einhart had caught the beast and was now holding its reins.

Rubbing her back soothingly Fate said, "Okay enough. We need to check on Nickels to make sure she wasn't hurt. Can you pull yourself together or do I need to call your Da?"

Levi shook herself and sniffed back her sobs. Face still wet with tears she looked over the horse and made sure the slip hadn't injured the animal. Once she was sure everything was alright she fixed her gear and climbed back onto the horse much more subdued. Vivio came over and patted her shoulder and quietly asked if she was okay making the older girl blush and nod before kicking off and setting off down the path. Einhart had seen the way the girl looked at Vivio and didn't like it but as long as she didn't try anything she wouldn't say anything. After all it wasn't like Vivio was interested in the older girl. Vivio was just friendly and was actually being possessive of her in trying to keep (the uninteresting) Levi away from her.

Making their way back to the house Nanoha looked at Fate with appreciation, she had looked so sexy riding full out with that serious determined look on her face. It made Nanoha wonder if they might sneak away for some quiet time but it wasn't likely as they had more vendors to deal with and Hayate was saying something about stealing her away into the village to prevent her from seeing her bride before the wedding. Fate felt the break had just stressed her out more and was happy to get back to the stables. Leaving the teens to brush down the animals and feed them Fate then thought up a list of chores to keep them out of trouble before returning to the house and the chaos within.

Coming back to the kitchen she found Stern arguing with Momoko about something and was slightly disturbed by this. After being reminded so viscerally of Mona Starks appearance and Momoko's recent over the top behavior when it came to the wedding Fate was finding the similarities between the women being reinforced in her mind. Normally Momoko and Mona would not be two people she would ever confuse but with the stress of the wedding Fate was finding Momoko more mother-hen like versus her normal teasing loving nurturer self. If there was any way to describe Mona Starks it was overbearing mother-hen, a saint of a woman but god help you if you disagreed with her.

Now seeing the motherly Mona Starks look-alike Momoko arguing with Stern wasn't something she could reconcile with her memory of the pair. Stern, just like everyone else, always bent to her mother's demands, what was going on here? Breaking up the pair and getting to the bottom of the disagreement she found herself _siding_ with Momoko and wondering why Stern would even argue over such a petty matter. There was so much left to do so she just waved off the matter. After washing up she went back to organizing and dealing with other issues to make sure the next day went off without a hitch.

After the rehearsal dinner Hayate captured Nanoha and told the household she and the girls were taking her to the village where they had a couple rooms rented. The night would be spent keeping Nanoha from Fate and in an impromptu Bachelorette Party. Fate was less than amused by the idea of a party where her fiancée maybe be railroaded into drinking into excess by her idiot friend but Miyuki promised she'd prevent anything bad happening. Fate sighed and after a number of needy kisses waved Nanoha off with her entourage.

Taking a hot bath and dressing in her warmest sleepwear Fate settled into bed reading. Alicia had offered to organize her a Bachelorette Party of her own which had horrified both Fate and Nanoha. Fate's only response was to waved her sister off then push her at Carim, pleading with the woman to keep her sister safely occupied. Carim's smirk as she dragged a pouting Alicia off to bed was disturbing to Fate who suddenly had another reason to be thankful the rooms were soundproof. Fate looked at her clock and sighed, it was going to be a long night.

Einhart was almost equally depressed, Vivio had gone with her mother and she was stuck alone for the evening. Einhart was offered a chance to hang out with the Starks sisters that night but she waved them off instead deciding to make it an early night. Laying on her bed she also tried to read but couldn't concentrate, she really was like Fate in that way, only the one she loved could relieve her loneliness. So when the first text message came through highlighting the idiocy of their elders it came as a blessed relief. The howling laughter at some of the photos and video clips strained the limits of the room's soundproofing. 'Oh my god,' Einhart thought as she stared at her phone then burst out laughing again, it was going to be a long night.

Fate looked at the clock on the bedside and groaned, 2:57 am, this time yesterday she had been wrapped in Nanoha's arms after making love. The images of Nanoha's face and the sexy sounds she had made filled Fate's imagination and made her frustration grow. Growling into her pillow she punched it but to no avail, she wasn't a naturally violent person so hitting things had never relieved her stress, doing things, productive things was the only way. Getting up she pulled on her robe and slippers before making her way down to the kitchen for a cup of chamomile tea.

In the kitchen Stern sat staring at an old photo album and wondering if what she was thinking was right. Fate wasn't the girl she remembered, she was confident, she was commanding, she was incredibly sexy in a forbidden fruit kind of way. That in itself was disturbing as she tried to conjurer up images of her scarred body and a shudder of fear ran through her, did Nanoha really like touching _that._ Fate wasn't the shy ingenue she remembered that needed someone to take care of her. The Fate she had known hadn't had any physical needs, wasn't that the way it was supposed to be?

Hearing the sound of footsteps Stern looked around frantically realizing she was sitting in just her nightdress alone. When the door to the kitchen swung open and Fate came in she was surprised but felt like it was now or never if she was ever going to get resolution to her conflicted emotions. Sitting up she allowed Fate get a good look at her scantily clad body.

Fate seeing the girl was surprised to find anyone else up but remembered of all the girls Stern was the one who was most often plagued by insomnia. She noted the girl had no robe on and nothing but a thin nightdress to protect her from the chilly night, foolish child. Nodding at the girl she padded over to the stove and picked up the kettle to fill it then set it on the gas burner to heat. Pulling down mugs and finding a few tea bags she set everything up for the pair of them to share a hot cup of tea. Turning to the girl she saw she was now holding herself as if cold.

Taking off her robe she set it over the younger woman's shoulders and admonished, "You really shouldn't be up without a robe. You'll get sick dressed the way you are."

Muttering an incoherent thanks and apology for the trouble that Fate seemed to ignore left the young woman feeling smaller than ever. If Fate was attracted to her body type surely seeing her so scantily dressed should have done something for her. Surely Fate should be looking at her longingly but instead the blonde was now yawning as she puttered about the kitchen barely giving her any notice. When the two mugs were placed on the table Stern was a bit surprised at the gesture and mumbled a thank you as she cupped the mug in her hands to enjoy its radiant warmth.

Fate looked at the book and seeing it was a photo album smiled and said, "Not another one. Nanoha loves photo albums, she thinks it's fun to tease me, she says I was cute when I was a kid. I just think I was awkward."

In a quiet voice Stern asked, "How did you know you were in love with her?"

Fate's whole face went sort of dreamy and she said, "At first I didn't know what was happening then before I knew it I was hooked. She makes me feel alive, whole, happy…so much it's hard to explain. I knew she was special from the beginning and tried my best to stay away from her but I never had a chance. We work together, are neighbors and her family runs a cafe I frequent so no matter where I went I was reminded of her. You know she never tried to overwhelm me, she respected my boundaries but somehow made me want to push them, invite her in. It was realizing I wanted her to touch me that finally made things click in my head what I was feeling."

"So you were instantly attracted to her? That's why you avoided her." Stern asked suspiciously.

Laughing a little at the thought, "No, not the way I think you mean. I recognized she was beautiful but I was terrified of the mere concept of her as a person. First for the obvious reasons," she said as she waved a hand down her body then continued, "I didn't want her pity or her looking at me like I was broken at work. That first day I was trying to come up with ways to avoid her, I didn't even want to be friends with her. For the first month we worked together I avoided even touching her or looking her in the eyes. Ha-ha, I was doing all I could to _avoid_ her but drove her to and from work nearly everyday, ate nearly all my meals with her, spent a lot of my off time with her because of Vivio and Einhart. It was a hopeless cause but I clung to the hope that I could keep her at arm's distance."

Sighing and taking another sip of tea Fate then went on, "I already had social issues thanks to my body consciousness but to make matters worse for us stupid Quattro had left me with a lot of trust issues regarding opening up to others. I didn't want to risk being betrayed again, not that I ever feared her spreading gossip. But the better I got to know her the more I feared her hating me for what I am. You see as the first day of working together went by I recognized she wasn't like anyone I had ever met, she was not only professional and personable but listened to me and pushed me creatively. Then when I saw her with her family I got a glimpse of the person she really is, bright and loving, teasing and sweet. It was like trying to hold back the tide, there was no way I wasn't going to fall for her. She was a lot like me at first hiding her feisty personality but eventually the walls came down between us. Then she found out about me and didn't hate me or push me away and from there it was like a runaway train, I just got more and more attached to her and suddenly I was feeling things I never had before. She made me feel things and I wanted more of that. Her touch calms me yet makes my whole body hum. She lifts my spirits with her smile and the way her eyes look at me, ha-ah it took some time to get use to. Took time for me to get use to her, she practically took over my life and rearranged it."

"So you did have to change to get her attention?" the dark haired girl asked accusingly.

Leaning back in her seat Fate looked at Stern and wondered at the question but finally decided to answer it, "No."

Frustrated at the one word answer Stern growled, "Well then how did you end up this way?!"

Frowning at this Fate asked back, "What do you mean by _this way_?"

"You aren't the Fate I knew growing up; you are more like Alicia now. Flirting blatantly, joking around, and being pushy about what you want. The Fate I knew wasn't like this; she was quiet and aloof, reserved and never would have taken part in PDA like you've been doing ever since you arrived."

Taking a sip of tea Fate settled back more comfortably in her chair and smiled before deciding to fully explain herself, "I have always been this person Stern. Before I was abused into silence I was a very lively child, ask Arf about it. When you and your sisters first met me I was still learning to be part of society again. As much as I love my father, your parents and the Harlaowns they all did me a disservice in babying me. Coddling me and not pushing me to open up.

"It was only once Alicia and I started to live on our own with Einhart that I was finally pushed to open up. Alicia may not have always gone about it the right way but she made the effort to expose me to the world and support me in whatever I tried. When we ended up in Uminari we met the Takamachis and I admit I was surprised at how much Momoko looked like your mom but I instantly recognized a big difference between them. Momoko teases me and makes me speak my mind. Your mom just assumed she knew what I needed and did it for me.

"It was only when Nanoha came back to Uminari that I finally realized I was wasting my life, I was scared of getting hurt but it wasn't a rational fear. When I looked deeper into what held me back it wasn't the fear of being physically hurt that I was scared of, I was scared of the words my mother told me were true. I was unlovable, unneeded, unwanted, then as she scarred my body she told me I could never be beautiful, I would always be alone. If I tried to reach out to someone they'd see what I was and abandon me.

"I needed to face my fears and move on. In my fear I had made a lot of mistakes, the biggest two being: I let Chrono become engaged to me even though I didn't love him, and hiding behind my sister while secretly living vicariously through her. I fixed my relationship with the Harlaowns, and with Nanoha by my side I am making strides towards feeling more comfortable in my own skin. Living life, doing things I had only imagined doing or pretended to not care about but ached inside to experience.

"My biggest fear about my relationship with Nanoha isn't so much her rejecting me it's the fact that I'm scared of becoming utterly dependent on her. I used Chrono shamelessly, made him feel guilty for falling in love with someone else when I couldn't even fathom kissing him, but I needed him to function in the world like a little kid with her security blanket. Even now Alicia holds herself back a little from Carim because she doesn't want me to feel abandoned, I am going to have to do something about that…sigh but with Nanoha it's different. She isn't a teddy bear or a new pair of binoculars to see the world through. Instead she's become the wings I fly on. She is the bridge that allows me to connect with others, she makes me human. In her I've found the one person who not only sees me as whole but beautiful and attractive. She's never wanted me to change, she just wanted me to open up to her and trust her. If I changed along the way then that was a happy accident and her love for me has never wavered."

Defiant Stern asked, "Were you ever attracted to me?"

Fate choked on her tea and coughing she finally cleared her lungs, "Stern you're my sister!"

Angry the girl stood up and said, "No! No, I'm not. I was in love with you when we were kids and then you suddenly disappeared and never looked back. Now I'm expected to stand by and watch you marry a woman who looks just like me!"

Instead of being showing guilt or regret Fate stood up, her face the calm cool mask of the Ice Angel, looking the girl in the eyes she said evenly, "You never knew me, how can you possibly claim to have loved me? Tell me ten things about me that are unique to me. You can't. I was a pathetic shadow when you knew me; the only person who really knew me was Cia-nee. Only behind closed doors with Cia-nee did I ever allow myself to relax enough to truly laugh or tease. When I taught you girls to draw and paint I was trying to open up to the world because Cia-nee thought it was a good idea. No one thought I would be a good teacher but she believed in me."

The cold distant look in Fate's eyes was a shock to the girl as the blonde continued, "You are nothing like Nanoha. I never once thought the two of you look alike. When I look at Nanoha I see colors and light, I see my future. You are a child, a little sister who I care about but you don't attract me. I don't love Nanoha because of the way she looks, I love who she is as a person. Put her mind, heart and soul in any other body and that will be who I love, man or woman, beautiful or plain, no matter the color of her skin, eyes or hair."

The stubbornness in Stern's stance made Fate want to spank her like the spoiled child she was being and her next words tried her patience to its limits, "Prove it! Kiss me and tell me you don't feel anything for me."

~"~"~"~

Nanoha was uncomfortable and incredibly grumpy. Currently her sister was using her as a body pillow and holding her in place on the queen sized bed. In the surrounding rooms were her mother, daughter and sister-in-law, Hayate and Rein, and Alisa and Suzuka. She could only be thankful the handful of other _guests_ for the impromptu party had returned to their own rented rooms elsewhere. She had heard Hayate talking about making a schedule for folks to take turns to watch for Nanoha trying to sneak out. But sneaking was beyond her at the moment with her sister's heavy arm and leg draped over her. She liked cuddling but preferably with a ruby eyed blonde not her clingy sister.

The events of the evening would be the subject of her nightmares for years to come she was sure. Her idiot best friend in conjunction with Lucino and Alto had found a Karaoke machine. Then after getting Momoko more than a little tipsy the trio had convinced the older woman to sing the Moulin Rouge version of 'Lady Marmalade' with them. Brain bleach, she needed brain bleach for the images that had resulted. She was sure Vivio would need therapy after tonight, she sure did. She had been able to avoid drinking all that much by pouring the drinks into her sister's cup when no one was looking which was why Miyuki was now passed out on top of her. This night had been an utter mess and all she wanted right now was for her sister to shift so she could properly breathe again and possibly escape this torture chamber.

When the dark haired woman finally snorted and rolled over it was 2:37 am and Nanoha had a surge of hope. The keys to the cars were downstairs in a fishbowl behind the bar. All she had to do was creep down the stairs grab the keys that had the house keys on it and make like a bat out of hell. Pulling on her robe and slippers as her clothes were currently being held hostage in Hayate's room she slipped out of the room like a thief in the night. Creeping softly down the stairs and carefully sticking to shadows so if anyone was awake they wouldn't catch her immediately. Seeing no one in the bar she found the keys and not caring about the cold she made for the door and cars outside.

Rein and Hayate stepped out of the alcove they had been hiding in. Rein put her hand out and said, "You owe me, I told you she'd make a break for it as soon as an opportunity arose."

Hayate shook her head, her best friend use to be a stubborn stickler for tradition, _oh how the mighty have fallen_. Handing her girlfriend a few bills she sighed, "Well I guess we should head to bed now."

Smiling at her disappointed girlfriend, "Yes, I think I could use a little cuddle time with my tanuki."

The dark haired woman turned to scamper up the stairs trying to hide her blush but Rein had seen it and it made her smile broaden. She really did love the dichotomy of Hayate's personality; maybe she'd explore it a little more before she finally let her lovable little monster fall asleep.

Arriving at the house Nanoha was ready to run up the stairs and climb into the bed with her blonde body pillow and finally get some sleep. It wasn't that she didn't trust Fate; it wasn't as if she couldn't sleep without her but truthfully she was addicted. She was addicted to Fate's warmth and the soft even thudding of her heart which lulled her to sleep. She was about to ascend the steps when she heard raised voices coming from the kitchen and curious she turned to find out what was going on.

Pushing the swinging door open a crack she saw Fate and Stern standing angrily in the kitchen. Then the girl demanded, "Prove it! Kiss me and tell me you don't feel anything for me."

Nanoha was ready to barge in and smack the girl for her idiocy, Fate was hers. No one touched _her_ Fate-chan like that. Then Fate replied and it stopped her cold.

There wasn't shock or hedging in her voice but a disgusted weariness, "You are such a child Stern. Do you think this is high school? Is my life a joke to you? I love Nanoha with everything I am. I will not betray her by kissing another person just to assuage their feelings."

The girl flushed and said, "It wouldn't be cheating, it would be just a kiss, she wouldn't need to know."

Fate's hands fisted and slammed down on the table making the mugs clacker, "You are a selfish idiot and even _if_ I had been slightly interested in you in some distant past your words now would have destroyed any feelings I had for you. Kissing someone when you're engaged to someone else _is_ cheating Stern. Especially when its express purpose is to determine if you have romantic feelings for someone else, god I pity the fool who falls in love with you. Now let me make this clear. I. Love. Nanoha. I don't want to kiss anyone else. I don't want anyone but her kissing me. I've had dozens of people force themselves on me, kissing me, groping me, trying to force me to touch them and accept their feelings and all I have ever felt was disgust and revulsion. Do you know why?"

Walking closer to the girl she then lifted her shirt and exposed her scarred stomach and the girl flinched at the sight and turned away. Jaw clenching Fate growled, "Exactly Stern. You have proven my point wonderfully. You and all those others don't truly know me. You don't accept me for who and what I am. Nanoha does, she doesn't see something broken and pitiful when she looks at me. Don't go around telling people you love them when you know nothing about them, when you can't even look at them and not pity them."

Ashamed of herself now Stern tried to apologize, "Fate, I'm…I'm sorry."

Shaking her head Fate looked at the girl with pained eyes, "Just go to bed Stern. In a few hours I am going to marry the woman I love, Nanoha. If you're really sorry you'll just stay out of the way and let me be."

Nodding the girl withdrew from the kitchen through another side door leaving Fate emotionally exhausted and wishing Nanoha was there to hold her. Closing her eyes as she gripped the counter to steady herself when the wondrous scent of Nanoha's shampoo was in her nose and the warmth of familiar arms wrapped around her.

Tears leaked out from her closed eyes in relief, pressing herself closer into the embrace she sighed, "Thank you. I needed this so bad. I couldn't sleep and then Stern decided to be stupid and all I could think is, 'I need Nanoha, I need one of her hugs so bad right now.'"

Soft lips trailed up her neck and cheek until they came to mouth and gave her a warm and loving kiss. Gentle hands soothed her by petting her face and hair before sliding under her top and brushing up her back to pull her back into a tight embrace. Eyes closed the entire time Fate reveled in the touch and tried her best to control her ragged breathing.

After a few minutes of holding each other Nanoha pulled back to look at the teary closed eyes of her lover and said, "Open your eyes Fate-chan."

Fate took a deep breath and said, "I don't want to. What if this is all a figment of my imagination? If I open my eyes and you're not here with me it would kill me."

Nanoha's giggling, "Nyahaha, You are so silly Fate-chan," at that made opening her eyes a bit easier.

Seeing bright sapphires and the luminous smile of her lover eased the ache in her heart. Warm burgundy eyes took in the wonderful sight and a long fingered hand reached up to cup a smooth cheek.

Leaning in Fate kissed soft lips then asked, "What are you doing here?"

Nanoha blushed and tried to look away, "Are you angry? I know I shouldn't be here but I couldn't sleep."

Feeling her heart flutter at the shy words Fate had to kiss Nanoha one more time. Pressing Nanoha into the counter she proceeded to devour her mouth.

Pulling back gasping for air Fate asked, "Does it seem like I'm angry to see you?"

Leaning back and sucking in air desperately Nanoha couldn't believe her fiancée was teasing once again, "Fate-chan we both know it's bad luck to see the bride before the ceremony."

"I'm pretty sure it was the dress that shouldn't be seen and at this point I really don't care I want Nanoha and now you're here and I'm not letting go," Fate declared before scooping up her bride-to-be and carrying her off to their room.

When the Recovery Committee entered their room a few short hours later they found the pair snuggled up together so tightly you couldn't slip a piece of paper between them. Sighing Alicia poked Nanoha's cheek and said, "Hey, for a few more hours that's still _my_ Fate-chan so you need to peel yourself off my property!"

A single eye opened and glared at the annoying blonde and a grumbling voice said, "Mine," before the eye shut and her face was hidden in Fate's neck.

Shiro wasn't sure what he was supposed to do, it was clear his daughter was the trespasser here. Kyoya though knew exactly what to do, with an evil smile he poked his sister in the sides making her squeak and pull her arms out from around the blonde to protect her sides. Seeing the limpet come loose he grabbed her and slung her over his shoulder. The sudden noise and cold from losing her personal space heater had Fate waking and seeing her Nanoha was being manhandled she growled, "Give her back Kyoya!"

The dark haired man laughed as he held his struggling sister, "Sorry, no can do. You'll get her back in a few hours. Mom called and expects this escapee back in custody ASAP."

Hearing her mother was involved Nanoha went limp and moaned, "Please Nii-san, have mercy on me. I just want ten more minutes to snuggle with Fate-chan then I'll go quietly."

"Sorry imōto it's time to face the music," then giving the glaring Fate a wink he strode out of the room with his resigned prisoner.

~"~"~"~

The wedding was set to start at five and everything was ready. Fate had run over every single detail and made sure everything was perfect. She didn't have a dream wedding in mind but the more Nanoha described what she wanted the more it became her dream to fulfill every wish and fantasy the love of her life had. Sliding on the wedding dress and allowing her sister to assist in tightening the corset she gave a shuddering breath trying to calm herself. Soon, in a few short minutes Nanoha would be her wife. It hadn't even been a full year since the woman had come into her life but she could no longer imagine it without her.

Between Arf, Lindy, Einhart and Alicia she found she had more than enough female assistance in getting ready as Alto, Lucino, Teana and Subaru worked as ushers and Shario took it upon herself to welcome guests on behalf of the Testarossa family. Seventy odd guests would make up the party from close friends and family to coworkers and patrons. Fate's heart was pounding a mile a minute in anticipation; she wasn't scared she was thrilled. Alicia seeing the excitement in her sister's eyes couldn't help smiling and pressing a kiss to her sister's flush cheek.

Looking at her elder sister she smiled, "Soon it'll be your turn. I can't wait to see you all dressed up for the execution. Or would that be for consumption? The way Carim-sensei looks at you sometimes makes me think she has you on her dinner menu."

Pouting at the tease Alicia said, "You really have been corrupted by those awful women, I should have known better than let you play with that Takamachi girl and her friends."

"If I remember correctly you were all for throwing me to the lions, you thought it would be fun to watch Nanoha and the rest of them eat me alive. You fully intended for them to either force me out of my shell or finally push me into joining a convent, well you got what you deserve."

Alicia smiled and hugged her sister, "Yup, I got my sister back. I get to see you smiling all the time and comfortable in your own skin again. So I guess if that comes with having to put up with the White Devil and some teasing I think it's worth it."

Pressing their foreheads together Fate looked her sister in the eyes and said, "Keep calling her that and I'll let her go on a rampage the next time you annoy her. I happen to think she's cute when angry and you have cannon fodder written all over you dear sister."

The sisters then broke into laughter, they had always been able to laugh together but now there was so much happiness in their lives it was spilling over. Einhart watched the pair and desperately wanted to join in the hug, Arf seeing this grab the girl and pulled her over and joined the hug. Fate and Alicia opened their arms to the pair and hugged both in. Lindy was crying and taking pictures like mad of the group hug thinking her girls never looked happier or more beautiful.

~"~"~"~

Momoko was helping Nanoha sweep up her hair, it would be pinned up with ringlet curls and her sheer lace veil cascading down her back. She knew Fate loved her hair up as it gave her better access to her neck; the thought of those lips on her made it hard to sit still. She had the urgent need to find her blonde and rain down kisses on her and confirm once more they loved each other. There wasn't a doubt in her mind or heart she just liked the confirmation process.

She had been listening to the teasing from her sister and best friend all morning about her running away. Her mom was tsk-tsk'ing her every so often and shaking her head about how impetuous she was. Her daughter was giggling at the memory of her mother being dragged in by her uncle, slung over his shoulder like a slab of meat. It wasn't her fault, Fate was like a magnet and she was drawn to her, the beautiful blonde was addictive and she was a hapless addict. Looking herself over in the mirror as the final touches to her makeup was completed she wondered if Fate would like what she saw.

The thought must have shown on her face because Miyuki smiled and said teasingly, "I wonder if Fate-chan is going to be able to speak after seeing you? I noticed she can get caught up staring at you sometimes, it'd be a pity if she forgot to reply because she was drooling over you."

Nanoha blushed, "I doubt that will happen Fate-chan has more self-control than that."

Hayate huffed, "I thought you had more self-control too and was sadly disappointed. You cost me six thousand yen with that little escapade of yours last night. If I wasn't so sure that silly blonde was gung ho to marry you I would have bet she'd grab you and run off before the vows were exchanged. But I have ten thousand on her sneaking you off before the reception dinner is even over. If she tries just go along with her, you owe me that much."

Picking up a spare makeup applicator she threw it at her idiot friend. The soft sponge didn't quite make it to the woman making the shorter woman laugh at the pathetic gesture. Before the pair could descend into true violence Momoko hugged her daughter from behind and kissed her cheek to distract her from her friend. Looking at her mother through the mirror she smiled and leaned back into the embrace.

In a voice thick with emotion Momoko said, "I am so proud of you. From the first time I met Fate-chan I knew she was special but none of us could really reach her. It took someone equally special to reach her, you. I know as a family we have been difficult to relate to sometimes but know we all love you so much sweetie. I can't think of anyone who deserves this happiness more than you two."

"I love you mama. I love all of you. I am sorry if I've been difficult sometimes. I know I can be a bit of a child sometimes," Nanoha said earnestly.

"No sweetie, you have always been too good if anything. It made it difficult to remember you needed us to take care of you. We should have done more for you, but we were all caught up in our own doings and just assumed you would ask for help if you needed it. But now I know you're going to be with someone who won't just sit back and assume you're okay, Fate-chan will take proper care of you. Just like I know you'll take proper care of her, and all the little Fate-chans you'll be having soon," Momoko said with a smile.

Picturing tiny blonde babies with rich burgundy eyes made her heart flutter and a warm smile spread across Nanoha's face. The other women in the room smiled indulgently before they had to burst her from her daydream and usher her to the door that led to the garden path and her waiting bride. Seeing her papa waiting in his suit and with an endearing mix of sadness, happiness, and pride shining in his eyes as he looked at her made her smile brighter. He hadn't been able to walk her down the aisle before and really hadn't wanted to give her away last time. Signing the permission to allow her to marry the first time had nearly killed the man but now he was looking at her with pride. She was finally marrying someone who really loved her and respected her; she was finally going to get her happily ever after.

Letting her three bridesmaids start down the path before them as the sound of the music began Nanoha felt like her heart was about to explode out of her chest, this really was happening! Her father sensing her need to calm down squeezed her arm and whispered, "Breathe Nanoha, you don't want to pass out before you even get to say 'I do.' Fate-chan would be so disappointed at having missed seeing you look so beautiful."

Taking calming breaths she settled her nerves just as they entered the garden and the sight of Fate took her breath away once again. That her mesmerizing burgundy eyes were equally locked on her wasn't lost on her and made her feel like she was floating. Each step brought her closer to the one she loved and making vows she never thought she'd make with someone she truly loved. She had been sure she'd either be alone for the rest of her life or would end up settling once more just so she could have the family she always wanted. Instead she was now being handed over to a living dream come true.

How either of them got through the vows neither knew but each was thankful for the clergyman's prompting to get them through it. Once the words 'you may kiss the bride' were spoken Fate immediately dipped down and caught her bride in a sweet and gentle kiss. Pulling back Fate's eyes never left Nanoha's flushed face, it was all real, Nanoha was now her wife. The cough from Vicar Manus shook the pair from their oblivious state and Fate reached out an arm to lead her bride back down the aisle.

Walking back down the aisle arm in arm with Fate was too much, as soon as they made it back inside she pushed the blonde off their projected route and into an empty room where she proceeded to kiss the stuffing out of the woman. Fate was at first unbalanced by the ravenous attack but soon was giving as good as she got. Clothing was about to be lost when the door opened and the annoying voice of Hayate broken in, "Okay Rabbits break it up, everyone is waiting on you, we got to get the photos over with. The guests are already grazing on the h'orderves but I'm not going to last long without sustenance so move it you deviants, I want to eat this century."

Groaning at the interruption and squeezing her eyes closed tight Fate growled, "Please, please Nanoha let me tie her up and put her in a closet. No one will miss her I swear."

Rein standing in the door way just behind the brunette said, "Uh-ah, I'd miss her. Come on you two, we let Nanoha-chan sneak off once already. It's time to do your duty and let everyone gawk at you."

Nanoha turned to look at the beautiful model and said, "Let me sneak off? I didn't see anyone last night."

Playful ruby eyes twinkled as Rein replied, "We saw you leave, we could have made a racket but didn't want to wake up the whole inn. After all we all know you would have put up a fuss if we tried to stop you. Now stop trying to distract me, come on your moms are getting restless," then smirking at Nanoha she said, "You wouldn't want have to be carried out on your brother's shoulder again, would you? Your mom looked like she was getting a bit...um inpatient."

Nanoha shuddered and took Fate's arm, "Come on love, let's get this over with.

~"~"~"~

After the photos the wedding party took their seats to allow the would-be best man/maid of honor speeches before eating. They were just what one would expect from elder siblings who lived to embarrass their younger siblings. Fate was plotting revenge in the form of blackmail material suddenly arriving in Carim's possession. Alicia liked to pretend to be ultra cool and suave but there were photos that proved otherwise. Nanoha was resigned to the fact that her elder siblings would always have more dirt on her than she on them. If only Miyuki had children or a significant other, hmm maybe she could set her up on awkward blind dates in revenge?

The dinner was delicious but the couple barely tasted it as people kept coming up to congratulate the pair and tease them for their rather strange courtship. To go from staid working partners, to friends, to best friends to lovers then a sudden engagement in less than a year sounded so NanoFate. Fate was surprised when Shario dragged Zest over to introduce him to Nanoha. Nanoha's response to the man was a mere handshake and thanking him for his sculptures. Looking at him she couldn't believe anyone would consider him a masculine version of Fate. Fate could be the invisible woman or a beckoning flame, this fellow was just introverted with a dash of social awkwardness from his dislike of crowds.

Zest was more concerned with speaking with Fate and wanting to escape from Shario than attempting to subvert the newlywed couple. The fact that the single Zest had 'lost out' with Fate was pointed out by Shario but both Fate and Zest merely rolled their eyes at the attempt to cause controversy. The man gruffly pointed out Fate was a lesbian and it had been clear where her preference lay even when they were in school so how could he have 'lost out.'

When Nanoha introduced him to her sister the man suddenly began to show Fate-like awkwardness in avoiding her eyes and trying to maintain his personal space. Fate seeing this couldn't help being amused, Zest wasn't interested in Nanoha (thank god) but it was clear the elder Takamachi sister was right up his alley. The man only got like this around women he found attractive as he was conflicted over wanting to get closer and wanting to maintain his solitude. In the end she decided to throw Zest to the Takamachi wolfette by asking Miyuki to give the man a tour of the grounds. All under the guise of getting him away from the crowds, the look of panic on his face was hilarious. In Fate's opinion every socially awkward person should have their very own Takamachi to drag them into the light.

As the man was dragged off Fate's amused smile finally made Nanoha ask, "What's so funny? I would think you of all people would feel sorry for someone being forced out of their comfort zone."

"Oh, Zest is perfectly comfortable. He only gets that way when he's attracted to someone. Your sister is exactly his type, well both of you would be, he likes beautiful women who can handle themselves. He has an aversion to the girly-girl type. As you can imagine Shario hitting on him, even as a joke, can give him hives," Fate replied with a laugh.

Shario rolled her eyes at that and said, "I see how it is. I give you both the best years of my life and then you abandon me for the first pretty face who can make a fist."

Nanoha stuck her tongue out at that then said, "I'll have you know I can do more than make a proper fist. As for my sister, she's twice as dangerous as I am when pushed. She actually learned how to handle a blade to a master's level. I wouldn't want to piss her off, I hope Zest doesn't underestimate her, she's playful but expects to be respected."

Fate and Shario exchanged a look and finally Shario said, "He'll be a perfect gentleman. In fact depending on how things go your sister might have to jump him, he takes the words noble and self-restrained to a whole new level."

This made Nanoha take on a contemplative look for a moment then finally she said, "I guess he might be a little like Fate-chan after all. Though in the end Fate-chan was the one who made the first move. I just said I wanted to kiss her and she was the one who actually initiated it."

Shario smirked at this admission, "Oh she did, did she? Why I'm not surprised? I always suspected she was a wolf in sheep's clothing."

Glaring at her friend Fate said, "Quiet Shario."

~"~"~"~

When it came time to dance the Father/Daughter dance Fate found herself dancing with her big brother much to Nanoha's annoyance while she danced with her father. When they switched Chrono's blue eyes were laughing at her. Huffing she asked, "What?"

"You know I love her as a sister only. I tried to get out of the engagement but everyone kept trying to guilt me into it, kept saying if I didn't marry her no one else ever would and she'd be alone all her life. I knew that was a lie, I knew someday someone would reach her and pull her out of herself. And I was right, I've never seen her as lively as she is with you. If you think I could ever steal her away from you you'd be crazy, her whole world revolves around you. Look at her; even now she can't stop looking at you."

Turning her head she saw Fate's eyes on her, lingering a moment too long and becoming distracted from whatever Shiro was telling her. The cute blush that came to her face when he recaptured her attention was enough to make Nanoha want to run over and squeeze her.

Chrono spun Nanoha pulling her attention back onto him, her frown only further amused him as he spoke, "I'm glad you love her as much as she loves you. That was my biggest fear for her. She has such a big heart and such a large capacity to love that I was afraid someone would use her. I was sort of proven right by Quattro, I wish I had been there to help her through that but thankfully Shario came through for her. Promise me you'll take care of her, you won't let her feel lonely or afraid. She hides her pain so well, so don't let her pull away from you. Be the one she can depend on no matter what."

Smiling at this Nanoha finally let her irrational irritation with the man die; he was such a big brother. His words and the look in his eyes was so like Kyoya that she couldn't help finally seeing him as he truly was, Fate's brother.

Squeezing him a little she said, "I promise. You really are a good big brother Chrono-kun. I'm glad Fate-chan has you back in her life."

The relieved smile and laugh finally revealed how much Nanoha's acceptance meant to him. The tears he held back made his blue eyes shine as he spoke, "Thank you. I was so scared you were eventually going to tell Fate to cut ties with me. I don't think I could handle losing my baby sister again."

Shocked at this admission Nanoha said, "I'd never do that. Your former engagement with her annoyed me true but I would never force Fate-chan to give up any of her family or loved ones. She has so few people she can love and trust, every one is precious to her."

Leading Nanoha over to Fate he smiled, "And that's what makes you a good person. You want the people you love to be happy. I definitely approve of this marriage."

Smirking at Nanoha's astonished face he then stopped the other pair and said, "Hey Shiro-san what do you say we let these ladies finally dance and get ourselves a drink?"

The older man grinned and handed Fate over to his daughter and said, "Sounds like a good idea."

~"~"~"~

Fate had just released Nanoha to get them drinks after dancing and seemed to have been caught by a few patrons. Nanoha was about to make her way over to rescue her when Stern caught her. A bit uncomfortable about what she was about to do but needing to make amends she pulled Nanoha to the side.

Looking down at her feet Stern said, "Nanoha, um I just wanted to say congratulations. I know Fate really loves you so um please take good care of her."

Reaching out she cupped the girl's chin and lifted it so they looked eye to eye. The girl was overwhelmed by the intensity of Nanoha's stare, how in the hell did Fate deal with it? Trembling now and wanting nothing more than to run away Nanoha finally had mercy on the girl.

Dropping her hand she said quietly, "I know what you did last night. If you had tried to force yourself on her I wouldn't have hesitated in punishing in you for your disrespect of Fate's person. I love her with everything I am but if she had rejected me romantically I never would have tried to force myself on her. All I have ever wanted was for her to be happy and now that we're married I mean to do all I can to make sure she always is."

The girl hunched up a little and said, "I guess that means you won't let her come back here again."

Sighing Nanoha looked at the gloomy girl and replied, "Wrong. We will be coming back here regularly, this place is Fate's home and I want her happy. You are like a sister to her, if you can accept that then I'll have no reason to ban you from the main house. I know there are servant quarters in a separate building but it hasn't been used since before the Testarossas bought the house. I don't want Fate to ever have to choose between me and the other people she loves in her life. She has lost so much time with all of you so just respect our relationship and I think we'll all get along."

Stern looked at her in disbelief, "You're not going to keep her away from me?"

Nanoha laughed gently at that, reaching out she squeezed her shoulder and said, "Do you have any idea how often I'd have liked to be selfish and keep her away from people she loves? Ginga, Chrono, Arf and even Reinforce who was never interested in her all made me insane with jealousy when I first met them. But all of them in the end really are people who love her and respect her. Though I would like to smack Ginga, but I know she just teases us because she likes seeing me angry. The woman is nuts and I won't give her the satisfaction of indulging her masochistic tendencies."

Nodding slightly at that final assessment Stern finally realized the big difference between them, Nanoha didn't see Fate as helpless and in need of being wrapped in bubble-wrap. Nanoha saw Fate as a fully functioning independent person who not only had feelings beyond fear and anxiety but opinions which needed to be considered. Then there was the fact Fate had physical needs. Needs that Nanoha _wanted_ to fulfill, and that last bit was were the two of them differed so much. Fate had always been asexual to her, neuter and safe. If she had ever started a so-called 'romantic' relationship with Fate it would have been completely platonic. It would have been completely unfair to Fate who obviously had needs, she would have subjected her to a half-life, a life without the fulfillment of love in all its forms.

Tears came to Stern's eyes at the realization and suddenly she threw her arms around Nanoha, hugging her tight she said, "Please love her properly. Don't let her be lonely or feel like she is broken. I know can't do it, when I look at her all I can see is the broken child she use to be. She deserves more than that, she deserves a real life."

Nanoha was rather saddened by the admission but happy the girl had given up her weird obsession with Fate. Hugging her back briefly then she pulled away to look over where Fate was surrounded by people.

Seeing this Stern said, "Go to her. She looks like she could use a rescuer."

Smirking at that Nanoha said, "Fate-chan is perfectly capable of defending herself. She just likes to play the damsel in distress. I've seen her break a man's wrist and take down a multinational corporation, with the proper incentive she's a force to be reckoned with."

Feeling Stern's shocked face was exactly the right note to end the conversation on Nanoha winked at the girl then made her way over to her beleaguered blonde.

~"~"~"~

The cake cutting was interesting. There was a running bet going on, on whether they would gently feed each other versus smashing the cake in each other's face. As each bride was surrounded by family and friends who whispered and teased each they eyed each other trying to tell what the other was planning. Wanting to utterly corrupt the brides a tipsy Alicia urged both to, "smash it then lick it off." Hayate grinned salaciously and said, "Smash it, then lick her clean and say 'thanks for the meal.'" Arf leaned in and whispered something in Italian that made Fate choke and pull away. Grabbing her wife she pulled her over to the cake and with a blush took her place behind Nanoha holding her and covering her hands with her own as she held up the knife for photos.

Cutting the first piece and carefully placing it on a plate each of them picked up a piece with plenty of icing.

Nanoha was leaning towards smashing it since the wily blonde's hands had begun to wander a little too much while they were dancing. She was having a hard enough time controlling herself as it was without Fate contributing to her delinquency. But when those burgundy puppy eyes looked at her with love and devotion she melted and left her holding the tasty treat out aimlessly as she got lost in them.

Fate didn't want to embarrass her wife but really needed a moment to indulge herself in Nanoha. The fleeting kisses she'd been compensating herself with were like flicking drops of water at a man dying of dehydration, pure torture. Then there was what Arf had said to her and she felt that sleepy monster inside her stir. Looking into Nanoha's endless sky-like eyes she knew she had to do something a little naughty. Not quite smashing the piece into her wife's mouth she quickly stole the piece from Nanoha's fingers, letting her tongue flicker over the icing coated fingers before taking a step back to check her work. Icing coated Nanoha's upper lip and trailed a little onto her cheek. The rather shocked and hurt look was instantly replaced with a full body blush when Fate moved back in and kissed/licked the offending icing off her skin. The whispered, "Thank you for the meal," in her ear almost gave her a nose bleed. Damn that sexy blonde for teasing her in front of their family and friends!

The winner of the pool was surprisingly Arf with her apt description: F will gently mark territory/N then lick clean. Nanoha was hiding her burning face against her wife as the wolf whistles and shouts from their friends and family resounded around them. Fate found herself holding her wife just as tightly and each second grow more embarrassed over her foolhardy behavior. Damn Arf for pushing her machismo button!

The red head seeing the pair was about to descend into a meltdown grabbed Fate, and by extension Nanoha, pulling them away from the spotlight and snapping the shocked Momoko and Lindy back into action. The older women quickly organized the further cutting up and dispersing of the cake. After a few jumbling moments the blushing pair fell from everyone's immediate attention as they sought cake.

Finding a quiet empty side room was a bit difficult but once the pair was away from other spying eyes Fate glared at her best friend and said, "Idiota senza cervello." _[Brainless idiot.]_

Laughing at the grumbling blonde she replied, "No one forced you to do it, besides it looked like you both enjoyed it. Any complaints Nanoha?"

The auburn haired woman looked at the woman in horror and decried, "You! You…you told her to do that?! I thought you were a good friend, how…why?!"

Turning a bit more serious Arf said, "A lot of people here today think this whole marriage is a sham Nanoha. They think Fate's marrying you is nothing but a cover to keep people from hitting on her. They don't believe Fate loves you and is attracted to you. I've listened to a lot of garbage the past two days and defended your relationship but 'seeing is believing.' I told Fate she needs to show the disbelievers before they get the stupid idea of cornering her with their stupid offers of extramarital affairs."

A sudden rush of possessiveness flooded through Nanoha and she growled, "Fate-chan is mine. If anyone even thinks about looking at her in an inappropriate manner I'll rip their eyes out."

Fate wrapped her arms around her bride and nuzzled her, "I really love it when you get like this love but please calm down. When Arf told be about some of the comments going around she suggested I nip them in the bud _and_ get a tasty treat, two birds with one stone so to speak. I know I embarrassed you earlier, heck the more I think about what I did the more embarrassed I get over that…ugh Alicia and Hayate are going to have a field day teasing us when they catch up with us."

Turning her head and looking up at the groaning blonde Nanoha asked, "Do you regret it?"

Fate looked her wife in the eyes, seeing the seeds of uncertainty taking hold she really needed to nip that in the bud fast. Leaning in she kissed her softly before pulling back and saying, "No. I could never regret kissing you. I enjoyed it far too much. I think I really do have some kind of exhibitionist streak in me; I wanted everyone in there to know you're mine. That this relationship is real, you're my wife, and I want you sexually. Ah god but I'm sorry Nanoha I didn't mean to embarrass you. I went too far, I shamed you in front of our families."

There was love and regret in her eyes plain to see. Fate turned her face away and hung her head, yet failed to release her grip on her wife. Nanoha noted the blonde's hands twitched as if she was trying to release her but her body was rebelling. That small sign of rebellion had to be rewarded, speaking to Arf for a moment she said, "Arf I need a few minutes to talk to my wife alone. Could I trouble you to watch the door for us?"

The wolf like grin she received clearly stated Arf was on her wave length and would be her willing accomplice. Innocently she said, "Of course Nanoha. I'll just step out and keep a look out. Take your time; remember it's important to communicate properly."

Nanoha had to restrain herself from throwing something at the woman for nearly giving the game away. Rolling her eyes she said evenly, "Thank you for being such a good friend."

Once the door closed Nanoha looked back up at Fate and seeing her eyes were all dark with shame Nanoha gasped. Pulling her over to a chair she sat Fate down the placed herself on the blonde's lap. Instantly arms wrapped themselves around her and held her comfortably in place. Fate's body had learned the _proper_ responses to having Nanoha nearby, even a troubled mind wouldn't derail them.

Cupping her chin Nanoha lifted Fate's head and said, "I love you."

Giving a weak smile that did little to deflect the kicked puppy look in Fate's eyes she replied shakily, "I love you too. I am sorry I was so stupid and let myself get carried away."

"Fate-chan I am not angry at you. I really liked that kiss and the fact that you did it to show everyone how you feel about me. The reason I am annoyed still is because you hid this whole situation from me. You're mine now, if people don't like that then they're going to have to deal with me…Directly."

The arms around Nanoha tightened for a moment before Fate said in a ragged voice, "You really need to stop talking that way Nanoha. It does something crazy to my insides, sigh ah-ha, besides violence is not the answer. Now coming to my only excuse, Arf only told me about the situation this afternoon before the ceremony so there was no time to share. That's how she was able to egg me on. She pointed out the White Devil wouldn't hesitate to mark out and claim her territory, shouldn't I as your wife, your equal, be willing and able to do the same? After all if they had no issue propositioning me what was there to stop them from doing the same to you. The very idea of anyone trying to touch you makes me…makes me more than a little upset."

Nanoha remembered the last time Fate had gotten upset. Gawd they needed to get out of this overcrowded house to their chosen Honeymoon retreat ASAP! Kissing Fate hard probably wasn't the best way to respond but Fate needed to be kissed. The kisses were hot and needy, leaving both of their lips swollen and bruised. Their hair was now mussed and Nanoha could only be thankful they had taken their wedding photos already or the resulting pictures would have been lasting proof of their lack of self-control.

Fifteen minutes into what could only be considered foreplay or a _really_ hot make out session a knock came breaking them up. The muffled voice of Arf came through the door, "Hey your Limo is out front and ready for you. So um get ready to make your escape, they want you two to throw your bouquets then you're free to go."

The fact that Arf didn't open the door spoke volumes for how little self-control the woman expected them to have. Or perhaps how much respect for their privacy she had versus their other family and friends. Either way Fate was thankful for it and biting her cheek she helped Nanoha straighten herself up before letting her do the same for her. If only they could just delegate this last chore to Arf but instead they accepted the offending bundles of flowers through the door and proceeded to the front of the house.

The knowing looks the couple received when they came out of the room had to be borne with resignation. Throwing the bouquets as quickly as possible the resulting mayhem might have been funnier if they weren't so restless to escape. The tumbling bodies of slightly drunk high dominance women fighting over not just one but two bouquets almost caused the next Great War to break out. In the end Carim had snatched up Fate's bouquet from a vicious tussle where there had been hair pulling and one rather nasty bite (who invited that nutcase?). And in a clumsy accident involving the Nakajima sisters where half a dozen people had been knocked over as Nanoha's bouquet fell into Teana's grasp.

Having watched the horrific squabbles the pair was more than happy to be subjected to quick hugs and congratulations and a few whispered teases so they could finally be released. Dashing for their limo they climbed in and were happy to be on their way far away from teasing friends and family. But it would only be a temporary reprieve as they were due back on New Year's Eve to celebrate the New Year with the inner most cadre of their loved ones.

It didn't take long for the pair to fall back into kissing and snuggling in the plush interior of the limo. But as the journey would be short they didn't dare take it any further, their limo driver would open that door upon their arrival promptly. When they finally arrived Nanoha was happy to know they had already been checked in by Alto and the driver was able to hand them their room cardkey. There was no waiting for luggage to be unloaded as it had all been delivered earlier in the day. Making directly for their room the pair only stopped when they reached the door where Fate trembling stuck the card in the slot and pushed open the door. She was about to pick up her bride and carry her in when they saw the interior of the room and both blushed scarlet. Alto was going to have a lot of explaining to do when they saw her next.

~"~"~"~

A/N2: Please review...does anyone really want to know what Alto did to their bridal suite or should I leave that to your imagination? And if I describe the room should I then ahem describe the wedding night (it will involve toys if so, and I have never gone there before) or should I just move on to them returning from the honeymoon and celebrating the New Year and get on with knocking Nanoha up? Be aware I have nothing written at this time... I await your feedback.

Till next time, PhoenixNext


	15. Chapter 15: Honeymoon

A/N: Okay sorry for the delay in updating. I will admit to being distracted by my Christmas gift, a 3DS XL with (oh shame) Alpha Sapphire Pokémon. (That's right I never grew up, I've been playing Pokémon since the original games came out.) That and my visiting family made it nearly impossible to sit down and write.

I was reading reviews and decided to take the smut approach to this next chapter. This chapter is just their honeymoon but will address some issues newlyweds face. I had to rewrite this chapter twice as the first attempt went down the rabbit hole and took me somewhere this story really didn't need to go. That's what one gets for writing on the fly. I come up with some weird stuff via my free association writing style. I don't even want to know what my writing reveals about my twisted psyche.

I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year and I promise once again to try to stick to a steady updating schedule.

Disclaimer: I do not own MGLN or its characters. I do not make any profit from my writing.

~"~"~"~

 **Honeymoon**

The pair stood looking into the room for a heartbeat longer then Nanoha started giggling. It was so horrible it was funny really. Fate turned to her wife and raised an eyebrow, "Really this is no laughing matter I don't want to spend our wedding night in a knock off Love Hotel."

Nanoha's laughter redoubled at that then stopped and she looked at her wife mock suspiciously, "How would you know what a Love Hotel looks like?"

Fate scooped up Nanoha and carried her into the room and kicked the door closed before settling her on the ground. Trying to restrain her smile as she recalled one of Alicia's lowest moments, smirking a little she said, "Let's just say I had to go to one to deliver Cia-nee some clothes after she bit off more than she could chew."

Imagination running wild at this nugget of information Nanoha laughed again and pulled her wife down for a kiss. Releasing her she said, "I suspected it had to involve Alicia but I am glad it didn't involve a prostitute and her trying to usher you into womanhood."

Fate shuddered at the thought and replied, "Not even Cia-nee is that insane. She might have liked to set up group dates but she knew better than to try something like that."

Thinking about it for a moment Nanoha said, "Hmm, I think Hayate would though. If I wasn't completely fixated on you by the time she came back into my life I could see her trying to find me a one-night stand or something."

Not liking the way this conversation was going Fate wrapped her arms around Nanoha and pulled her back in tighter. Weeks of hormone treatments had lead both of them to become more emotional and this particular scenario kicked Fate's possessive nature into high gear. While Nanoha's mood swings couldn't be hidden because she was by nature rather volatile Fate's mood swings had been squashed by her iron control over her emotions but even that cracked in the face of her possessiveness. Nanoha was hers and no one would be allowed to touch her wife, Vice should count himself lucky he hadn't tried what he did last week; he'd have suffered more than a broken wrist and humiliation.

Nuzzling Nanoha's nose with her own she then kissed her before pouting, "Less talk about the idiots in our lives and more attention on me please."

Smiling Nanoha leaned back in to begin undoing Fate's dress. The luscious feeling of soft lips melding against one another soon gave over to Fate's need to taste Nanoha's body. As her hungry mouth began to descend down Nanoha's neck she whispered seductively, "I plan on being very greedy with you love. I don't want you to think about anyone or anything but me."

Shivering at the words and soft nips at her neck Nanoha replied haltingly, "I... think I-ah can handle that."

Fate scooped up her wife once more and carried her over to the bed. Ignoring the outrageousness of the pink satin sheets and the heart shaped pillows she placed her most precious bundle on the bed and carefully stripped her of her wedding dress. The revealed lingerie made it hard for her breathe, like their first night it was light blue and lacy and made her think of how amazing that night had been.

Fate freezing up as she took in her lingerie clad body made Nanoha laugh, she was getting better at interpreting Fate's reactions. It was clear she loved what she was seeing and was currently saving the image in her permanent memory banks. Reaching out Nanoha touched Fate's soft cheek and broke her out of her mesmerized trance. Diving down to catch Nanoha's mouth once more to drink her in Fate felt Nanoha's hands loosen the corset of her dress. A few moments later the lacing was loose enough and Fate pulled back and shucked the dress off. Her undergarments weren't nearly as erotic as Nanoha's (she had needed more help getting into her dress and wouldn't have been able to hide what she wore from certain inquiring eyes) nevertheless her cream colored lingerie set off her full curves to their best advantage. Sitting up at the edge of the bed Nanoha reached for Fate pulling her into the space between her legs.

Fate trembled under the onslaught; Nanoha's sweet mouth was suckling her breasts which she had unceremoniously exposed by pulling her bra out of the way. Then gentle but insistent fingers began to probe her panties, finding her already soaking wet. From the moment Nanoha had stepped into her line of sight at the wedding ceremony she had wanted nothing more than to press the beautiful woman to the nearest wall and devour her. All the kisses and teasing touches both had exchanged throughout the evening had left her on the edge and wishing to escape all their company.

Now they were alone and Nanoha felt so good, made her feel so good. When her panties were pushed to the side the feeling of warm soft fingers touching her almost made her knees buckle. The strong arm of her lover held her by the waist and pulled her down. Now straddling Nanoha's lap, making it easier for the shorter woman to tease and taste, Fate found herself riding Nanoha's hand as she held tightly to her lover's shoulders. Nanoha pressed her mouth to Fate's shoulder to gently bite down then give the tender flesh a loving suck to mark her territory making the blonde groan in pleasure. As Nanoha continued her gentle marking process she thrust deeper into Fate, when her thumb finally swiped over Fate's sensitive nub it pushed her over the edge and she came with a gasping groan that was Nanoha's name.

Pulling back burgundy eyes dilated with passion took in eyes now violet with need, Fate felt her heart lurch at the sight, her Nanoha needed her. Kissing once again Fate found herself entranced once again by the beauty before her as she kissed, licked and nibbled at the familiar yet always enticing landscape that was soon laid out beneath her. Her hands had memorized all of her lover's most sensitive spots and quickly she fell on pleasuring her to the utmost limits. As if she was painting each touch was precise and loving, marking the body beneath with the colors of her passion.

It was only when Nanoha began to plead for release, on the edge of tears with frustration and need that Fate finally descended to Nanoha's most sacred place. The feeling of warm breath brushing against her made Nanoha's hips cant up begging for Fate's touch. When the slick invader finally flicked up the length of her slit it was almost enough to push her over the edge. Then it began to circle around her rock hard clit, not quite touching making her almost scream with need and demands. Nanoha swore she could feel Fate smile against her and swore she'd get her revenge.

With another teasing flick over her needy center Nanoha bucked her hips once again trying anything just to get the friction she needed to relieve her need. Then the bed shifted and in one swift move two fingers were thrust into her filling her deliciously. Eyes shut tightly she arched up trying to take them in as fully as possible, whimpering when she felt them pull out only to moan deep from her soul when they were thrust into her once again. This was repeated over and over again with those delightfully long digits curling inside her making it difficult to think straight. Finally when she thought she was about to lose her mind Fate's mouth moved to hover over her clit.

In a voice thick with lust Fate said, "Come for me love," then she sucked in the hard nub as she thrust as deeply as possible into a body taut with need.

Nanoha's scream was almost soundless with how little breath she had but her lover's name was clearly discernible and made Fate smile in satisfaction.

~"~"~"~

It was nearly midnight when Fate finally found herself waking from a light doze on the ridiculous neon pink satin sheets and remarkably comfortable heart shaped pillows to rest her head. Her insatiable wife having taken her revenge by nearly giving her a heart attack with how relentlessly she had pounded into her once she had taken the lead. The look on Nanoha's face as she dominated her was almost as satisfying as the feeling of their bodies pressing together. She had fallen into a doze with her lover curled into her and it was that missing warmth that alerted her to the troublesome woman's departure.

Fate rolled her neck and as she did so she took in the décor of the room, such as it was after Twiddle Dum and Twiddle Dee were done with it. There was sheer fabric hanging from the four poster bed's columns like fluffy clouds that curtained the upper portion of the bed from view. There was also some sort of restraints attached at each post, gloomily she thought, 'Nice touch Alto.' On the ceiling above her she was avoiding eye contact with herself via a mirror which obviously was not normally part of the room's décor. Having heard of people enjoying watching themselves engage in sex Fate was less than amused with it as she normally avoided looking at her own body. But as she lay on her stomach earlier in the evening with Nanoha loving her, kissing her shoulders and back, lavishing her love over her scarred body she had been able to watch each move in the mirror making each touch suddenly more poignant as she could now see the loving devotion Nanoha spent on her.

Turning her head to the left she could see her wife, and could only smile her blitzed out happy smile as she stretched herself fully awake from her doze and took in the breathtaking beauty of her lover. Her beautiful wife clad in only a thin shift of silk was now going through the _toys_ left for them by demented elves like a child on Christmas day. Considering Christmas was only a few short minutes away it seemed the holiday had come a bit early. Nanoha had picked up one of the items that was still in its wrapper and reading what labeling it had making her giggle and groan.

Fate shifted in the bed and noticed the small table in the room's breakfast nook that had been covered with various gift baskets had been cleared. The baskets were now lined up along the bed like soldiers awaiting inspection. But it was objects of ill-repute that caught her attention from where they lay on their dresser. From dildos and vibrators to nipple clamps and oh god…anal beads, why? Nanoha's giggling died when the recognition of what that last object was finally registered. She shuddered with dismay then pulled open a drawer and nudged the anal beads into it with another object relieving Fate's mind to no end.

Turning her head she looked at the reclining blonde and held up a pair of nipple clamps for Fate to evaluate, Nanoha was not surprised by her wince or firmly stated, "No."

The offending objects were then relegated to the reject drawer before she picked up a harness of sorts with a phallus and came to the bed with it in her hands. Sitting cross legged in front of Fate she was about to ask her opinion of the object when she noticed Fate was looking at one of the gift baskets. Setting it aside she leaned in to see what Fate was looking at. Fate's lips twitched in humor at the curiosity of her wife and handed her the gift basket.

Nanoha now had what appeared to be a bath gel shower gift basket in her hands but appearances were deceiving. There were three containers bundled together under the heading, "Tasty Treat Gift Set," which contained a tube of Edible Strawberry Flavored Lubricate, a container of Edible Chocolate Flavored Body Paint, complete with a small paint brush and a small bottle of Edible Vanilla Flavored Body Massage Oil. Having the unfortunate experience of having taste tested a number of those products before Fate wasn't very excited over the items. Such items really didn't come across sexy after sitting at her dining table with her sister who decided she needed a second opinion on flavor selection.

Nanoha sighed and put the basket on the floor, "Most of those things taste pretty gross or so I'm told."

Fate merely hummed at her wife not willing to open that can of worms, the last thing she wanted now was to be subjected to a round of taste testing. Nanoha eyed Fate and wondered how to go about breaking her silence when it came to the mass of objects before them. Fate decided to move on to the next gift basket as the faces Nanoha made were rather endearing. The next basket was filled with a set of lubricants which Fate found interesting but didn't really find all that appealing. Handing the basket over to Nanoha she set about to reading the labels.

Once it was established one had an aphrodisiac as an ingredient Nanoha put the set off to the side for further exploration. Then came a gift basket filled with actual aphrodisiacs, pills and powders and fruit drinks. There were even bath salts and oils all of which seemed to earn Nanoha's approval on mass. That made Fate a bit concerned, was Nanoha disappointed with her performance thus far?

Seeing Fate's frown of concern made Nanoha lean over and kiss her before explaining, "I am just curious about how they affect a person. I've read about them and even had one supposedly slipped to me but I definitely didn't respond like all those books or ads claimed I would."

This admission made Fate's frown deepen as she asked, "You were drugged? By who?"

Petting Fate's brow to clear it of the scowl Nanoha then replied, "Yuuno thought it would help our physical relationship. I wasn't very comfortable with sex; in fact I never had an orgasm with him. He tried but I just couldn't get into it and eventually just started faking it so he'd leave me alone."

Fate sat up, Nanoha faking orgasms was not something she wanted for her wife, ever. Seeing Fate's concern made Nanoha smile, the blonde had no reason to be concerned, sex between them was wonderful and very satisfying.

Reaching over to squeeze Fate's hand Nanoha told her the truth, "Love, I have never had to fake anything with you. You make me feel incredible."

Squeezing Nanoha hand in return Fate pleaded with her wife, "Nanoha, if there is ever a time when I am not providing you with what you need please tell me. I want to make you happy in every way possible.

"Fate-chan, you can have no idea how happy you make me. I thought my life was pretty much doomed to be dull and solitary. Who'd want a widow with a teenage daughter? Especially one who had been called a frigid prude."

Nanoha's face turned a bit pink at the last line and she looked down on their entwined hands. Fate felt her was playing with them as she normally did when upset. Sitting up she pulled Nanoha into her lap and tried to control the thrill of lust pulsing through her at the feeling of their bodies pressing together.

Taking one of Nanoha's hands Fate laced them together again before saying, "I really don't have a lot of experience to go on but speaking personally you my love are not frigid or a prude. I find it interesting the same people who tried to debase you for being _easy_ were also saying this. So you'll forgive me if I disagree with all of what you just said. Believe me when I say I could throw a rock and hit someone who'd be interested in you romantically. Most would take the view of dealing with Vivio as a short term obstacle who they could throw out once she came of age."

Knowing Fate loved Vivio and even if anything ever happened to her she'd stay in Vivio's life relieved Nanoha's mind over her daughter's future. Rubbing her thumb in circles on Fate's palm she sighed, "When I was a teenager I was so scared of going all the way. Then I stupidly gave myself to someone I didn't really love in a drunken stupor. After that sex became a means to an end. It was a duty I had to pretend I enjoyed in order to prevent arguments. A method by which I'd get the one thing I desperately wanted, a family of my own. I can only be thankful there never were children; Yuuno never would have been a good father. He paid no attention to Vivio and never protected her from her grandmother."

Kissing Nanoha's forehead Fate said, "If there had been any children I would have loved them. With you as their mother I know it would be impossible for me not to love them. Even if Carim's process fails we will have children, I don't care if they're not mine genetically speaking as long as their mother is you I will love them with all that I am."

Turning her head Nanoha kissed Fate making her moan when she sucked on her lower lip before giving it a loving nip then pulling away.

"I love you, I want to spend the rest of my life making you happy and raising a family with you. When you hold me I finally feel wanted, needed. When you look at me I see love and I don't ever want that to change," Nanoha murmured into Fate's ear then proceeded to nibble the lob.

Fate felt her brain shut down and her raging hormones come flooding back into control. Desperate hands pulled off Nanoha's shift and then pressed her down onto the bed. Loving nips and nibbles were returned down Nanoha's sensitive neck before Fate took a deep centering breath to rein in her need.

Whispering into a perfect ear Fate said, "You will never have to worry about my feelings changing, I love you with everything I am. You complete me. You make me live. You will never need an aphrodisiac to feel pleasure if I can help it."

Then Fate descended down Nanoha's body and provided ample proof of her words.

~"~"~"~

When Fate awoke the second time it was to the pale pink of morning sunrise peeking through the window. She knew they had maybe gotten an hour of sleep but the insatiable monster that was her wife was wriggling around in their bed. Fate wanted to curse those damn hormone pills as they made an already hyperactive person even more energetic, if she died on her honeymoon she'd probably be dying with a smile but it'd be an exhausted smile. Turning over with a sigh she took in her wife who was holding up a harness of sorts with a phallus.

Turning her head to look at Fate, Nanoha asked, "What do you think?"

"I think that is a rather generous interpretation of the male anatomy," Fate said with a straight face.

Nanoha blinked shocked, "You've seen one before?"

"What a dildo or a penis? It's a yes either way though I can't say which was more mentally scarring," Fate answered.

"Okay you're going to have to explain that, I really don't like the way my imagination is going," Nanoha demanded as she shifted to sit on her wife's hips.

Fate rubbed her hands up the long length of thighs and said, "The first time for the penis was in High School, I was actually painting nudes at the time, I had selected a female model but an idiot male model thought it'd be funny to flash me. He tried to play it off as if he had come in on the wrong day but he just wanted to see how I'd react. Honestly the whole thing in retrospect was rather underwhelming, he wasn't exactly packing as Alicia would say. Though at the time I was rather shocked by the immediacy of the… ahem whole thing. Cia-nee slapped the heck out of him for what he did as I wasn't going within ten feet of the pervert.

"This brings me to when I first saw a dildo, thank you big sister for traumatizing me more with this little event. I had just done laundry and was putting things away when I found it in one of her drawers. She came in and then gave me a lecture on how one was used and the benefits and downsides of using such an object during sex. It was perhaps worse than her other sex talks with me since she was holding the thing in her hands the whole time."

Shaking her head Nanoha sighed, "I think you really do have the worse sister. Miyuki may tease me but I don't think she'd have the nerve to actually do a Sex Ed talk with props."

Then Nanoha began to think a little more about that and asked rather shyly, "What were the downsides to using a dildo?"

Fate smiled at the shy way Nanoha was acting and said, "According to Cia-nee there are two major ones; first being you miss out on your lover's warmth, and the second being not knowing your lover's limits you have to be careful so as not to hurt them. It's just like a penis in that way, a man could seriously harm a woman if he doesn't take her into consideration but with a dildo the partner using it doesn't even have the physical sensation to know if they're going too far. I personally love the feel of you so don't see why I should risk hurting you just for some power trip that seems to come from using one of those things."

Playing with her hands now Nanoha frowned a bit as she took this in and with a blush she said almost too quietly to be heard, "I kinda wanted to use one on you."

Fate's brows shot up and she asked, "Why?"

Nanoha's face was now a beet red and she began to squirm under Fate's incredulous stare, finally she said, "Because I want to… to… properly take your virginity. I mean look at my hands they're so small and I want to make you feel good. I know it's just a power trip like you said but I want to… claim you, to know you're all mine."

Hearing Nanoha ramble was cute, she suspected a while back that her wife had a number of power fantasies and she was just thankful they didn't involve anything painful or degrading. She had had enough of whips and the like to last her a lifetime. Picking up the strap-on she looked over the size of the device, it wasn't huge but it would definitely stretch her more than Nanoha's fingers. It was longer than her fingers were also and while not intimidatingly so it would reach parts of her never touched before.

Coming to the conclusion that this thing under Nanoha's control might be interesting she said, "If you use it so do I. I want Nanoha to be mine also."

The surprised but happy look on Nanoha's face made the whole thing worth it. Even if the whole thing was a flop in the end, which it wasn't as Nanoha wasn't one to waste her opportunities. Picking up a tube of edible lubricant Nanoha decided it would be best to thoroughly prepare her meal before finally devouring it whole. Fate feeling the cool lubricant being applied liberally to her shuddered as she knew Nanoha wasn't going to make this a "quickie," Nanoha seemed determined to make this memorable.

After bring Fate to the edge with her very talented mouth Nanoha pulled back and looked over her domain. Blonde hair lay scattered across the bed as the pillows had been knocked off the bed with all the thrashing about. The perfect chest of her wife was heaving as she took gasping breathes trying to calm her raging need. Long legs were wantonly splayed open as her needy hips canted up begging for release. Nanoha tighten the harness snugly around her hips then applied lubricant to its hard length to ensure her lover would not be harmed as much as possible.

Carefully lowering herself over Fate and seeking out the tight opening with the hard tip of the dildo until she found it. The gasp and hitching of breath of her lover made Nanoha hesitate fearfully. Seeing this Fate opened herself even further and with a loving kiss pulled Nanoha down so they connected fully in two places. The feeling of the device entering her made her groan into the kiss but it was clearly not a sound of pain. The sound made Nanoha's blood heat up and suddenly the fear was gone and she was moving her hips, she needed to hear that again.

It wasn't just the feeling of being filled that made the experience so pleasurable, it was the feeling of Nanoha pressing into her. Breasts, stomachs, hips, all touching, rubbing, meeting in a way that filled Fate with pleasure. The feeling of Nanoha's arms holding her securely as she moved her hips thrusting deeply and the sound of her fierce breathing in her ear and the endless endearments that fell from her lips all made the experience a thousand times more enjoyable than she had imagined. Fate really knew she shouldn't have been surprised, Nanoha always turned things that had appeared questionable to her into things she found pleasurable and sometimes even downright necessary for her own happiness.

The steady pounding had Fate soon squirming under Nanoha, begging now for more. The harder and faster Nanoha thrust the more the blonde arched up to meet her and begged for more. The heady feeling of power, of knowing she was reducing Fate to this desperation made Nanoha feel amazing and more self-conscious of the fact of how much Fate truly trusted her. Only with Nanoha could Fate lay aside all her barriers and inhibitions, only with Nanoha could she bare her soul and know it would be safe. Kissing her wife with fervent passion Nanoha then pulled back to look at the beauty that lay beneath her.

Face flushed with heat, blonde locks sweaty and sticking to her long porcelain neck and eyes dark with lust and love made Fate seem like some ancient love goddess. Reaching between their bodies Nanoha searched gently for her sensitive nub and finding it gently teased around it making the divine blonde buck her hips up and plead for release.

Pulling her hips back almost pulling out completely Nanoha then whispered in Fate's ear, "Come for me love. Be mine."

Then Nanoha slammed home as she pressed down hard on the sensitive nub driving Fate over the edge and into oblivion. Nanoha suddenly realized what Fate meant by missing the warmth of one's lover, seeing Fate come undone but not feeling it left a small hollow feeling in her. Feeling Fate orgasm around her hand or with her mouth and tongue or the wonderful twitching as she pressed them together always gave her a wonderful feeling of completion. This experience was amazing, especially for her ego but emotionally it left something to be desired. Looking down at the satisfied look on the face of her lover Nanoha decided maybe ego tripping wasn't the worst thing she could do with her lover.

There was a desperate need for air as a pair of pounding hearts tried once more to regain equilibrium after Nanoha had dominated Fate for what had to be the sixth time. Fate had tried to take the lead but Nanoha had just kissed her and maneuvered their bodies into a new position she wanted to take Fate in and began once again. Seeing Fate fall to pieces under her was insanely hot and growing to be addictive. But then again she was already addicted to the blonde and this was just one more hook by which the blonde could reel her in. Their sex life was remarkably healthy for two people who had so little prior experience or comfort with the act.

Rolling onto her back Nanoha tried to catch her breath but soon found herself being looked upon by a rather unamused blonde, "It's not that I didn't enjoy that love, but I believe we had an agreement. Now it's my turn and I hope you realize I am not going to stop until you pass out from pleasure or exhaustion, whichever comes first."

Nanoha gulped as she felt Fate remove the harness from around her hips and suddenly wished she hadn't gone on her power trip. Seeing Fate with the strap on made something in her shudder, especially when the blonde began her teasing descent to reduce her to a pleading puddle of need. Fate carefully applied lubricant to Nanoha making her gasp in pleasure as long fingers teased her. Carefully Fate lined up with Nanoha and pushed into her with the addition of her natural wetness the hard object slid into her easier than she had expected. As it filled her she groaned and found herself opening herself fully allowing Fate to sink into her as deeply as possible.

Legs now hooked around Fate's hips she met each of her thrusts all she could think was this was a hell of a lot more pleasurable than she could ever have imagined. Soon she was begging Fate to pound into her as she kissed and nipped at her shoulder. Conventional sex hadn't gotten her off before but with Fate's burning eyes on her and the feeling of their bodies pressed together in this desperate meshing finally proved to her that it hadn't been her fault she hadn't enjoyed sex before. She had just been doing it with the wrong person. Coming down from her high she felt Fate change their position and when those dexterous fingers moved over her body she could only moan as Fate made her receptive for yet another round.

~"~"~"~

When Nanoha woke it was to the blinding light of day, looking at the bedside clock she saw it was already well after noon. Groaning she hid her face in the plush heart pillow, Fate had been true to her word and had made her pass out from exhaustion. The sound of the door opening came with the scent of freshly brewed coffee and baked goods. Turning her head slightly she saw Fate holding a bag in her arms and looking extremely happy. She was practically glowing with happiness and that was the only reason Nanoha didn't throw a pillow at her.

Putting the bag down on a small table Fate came over to the bed and pulled back the covers to let her hand run down the length of Nanoha's back to come to a stop on her hip. Leaning over she kissed her cheek and said, "Merry Christmas love, I know you are awake, it's time to get up and greet the day."

Grumbling, "You are a beast, I can't believe you. How many times did you…"

Fate cut her off with another kiss and said, "If you had just played fair I wouldn't have needed to make a point."

Sitting up and running a hand through her messy locks Nanoha asked, "And what point is that?"

Smoldering eyes took in the delicious sight before them and in a voice tinged with lust Fate replied, "That we are well matched in every way. That I love you and will always give you just as much as you give me."

Cupping Fate's face Nanoha said, "I already knew that love, but you could let me get the upper hand every once in a while you know."

Kissing Nanoha's palm she then nibbled on her index finger making Nanoha squeak in surprise. Laughing at the cute response Fate said, "You already have the upper hand. I'm yours to do with as you please."

The little pout of disbelief Nanoha made was too cute and made Fate lean in for another kiss which lead to her being pushed down on the bed and Nanoha climbing on top of her. Eyes wide Fate looked up at the beautiful woman who owned her soul. Nanoha looked down at the prone form beneath her and saw Fate really was going to let her do as she pleased.

Sighing Nanoha said, "You are too much. I can't help loving you."

Reaching up Fate combed fingers through the tangled auburn hair of her lover and said, "I love you too. Now what do you say we eat some brunch and go out for a while. There are a couple places I want to take you today."

Nanoha looked at the clock and sighed, "I can't believe it's already this late. You really should have woken me up earlier we need to take our hormone pills at or around the same time each day; it's already an hour later than normal."

Kissing Nanoha's lips Fate then replied teasingly, "You are already moody enough as it is without adding sleep deprivation to the mix. An hour won't do any harm, missing a dose or taking it at random times could mess us up but this I'm pretty certain is okay."

Nanoha gave her wife a false pout and said, "Moody am I? Well get use to it because once I'm pregnant it'll get worse. Mom was supposed to have been a right monster when she was pregnant."

Pulling Nanoha into a tight hug Fate kissed her ear before saying, "My love once you're pregnant I plan on spoiling you beyond imagination. I told you already even if you get hormonally crazy with me I expect you to let me treat you like a princess; otherwise this peasant will be revolting and tying you down."

Nanoha had to smile at that, Fate was infinitely patient with her, this past month proved that in spades.

~"~"~"~

Nanoha was laughing when they returned to their hotel room; Fate had utterly spoiled her this day. Taking her to see a special showing of Renaissance artwork downtown, then dinner at a wonderful restaurant which was followed by them seeing one of the most amazing Christmas lights displays she'd ever seen while in a horse drawn carriage. How the blonde had been able to arrange the whole thing on top of their wedding was beyond belief. She had assumed they would be spending most of their honeymoon in their room, not that she'd complain about that, but Fate obviously had plans for them during this week long honeymoon.

Once in the room Fate released her hold on Nanoha and went into the bathroom. Running the water for the Jacuzzi she then put in aromatic bath salts before testing the temperature and returning to the bedroom. Nanoha was flicking through her digital camera and smiling at some of the photos they had taken together. Fate felt her heart skip a beat at the sheer beauty of that smile; Nanoha loved her, loved the time they spent together, in or out of bed.

Coming over to Nanoha Fate massaged her shoulders and neck making her moan in pleasure. Eyes growing dark with desire looked up at her and questioned her.

Leaning over she pressed a soft kiss to Nanoha's lips and said, "Let's get cleaned up then go to bed."

Nanoha shivered at the way Fate's voice dropped when she said bed. Following the blonde to the bath was the easiest decision to make in her life.

Stripping down and entering the shower together where gentle hands washed and teased. When they were done they stepped out and Fate led an extremely aroused Nanoha to the hot tub. Turning on the bubbles they sat contentedly together soaking in the hot water for a few minutes with Fate holding Nanoha tightly and softly kissing her neck and shoulder. Then Fate's wandering hands began to tease and descend lower to find their prize. Nanoha felt like she was going to pass out from the heat but couldn't muster the strength to stop the pleasurable assault on her body. When she finally came she slumped back into Fate flushed and almost completely overheated.

When Fate finally got a good look at Nanoha's flushed face she felt guilty and immediately helped her wife out of the hot water and carefully dried her off before carrying her to their bed. Laying her down Fate then got her a cool glass of water. When Nanoha was finished with her drink she reached out to Fate weakly. Still feeling guilty but unable to resist her lover the blonde crawled into bed with her and pulled her close.

Whispering in her pink flushed ear Fate apologized, "I'm sorry love, I couldn't help myself. Rest now."

~"~"~"~

The next morning Fate found herself handcuffed to the bed. Pulling at her restraints she saw they were covered in pink fur with a heart pattern. Then Nanoha came into view holding a bowl of fruit and completely naked. The hungry look in Nanoha's eyes had nothing to do with food and as the sapphire eyed woman began to play with her _food_ it became increasingly clear Fate might have bitten off more than she could chew with this woman as her wife. This idea was reinforced when Nanoha picked up a jar of Nutella and carefully began to spread the tasty treat over her most sensitive spots.

After the delights of the flesh and the delicious pleasure of eating off Fate's body Nanoha had to admit waking up early had been worth it. As her human pillow caught her breath Nanoha let her hand run up the length of Fate's body tracing scars and suddenly she was concerned.

Looking down at her helpless prisoner Nanoha asked, "Fate-chan are you okay with this?"

Pulling at her restraint feebly Fate said, "I really don't like not being able to touch you but this isn't so bad. I think my shoulders will be sore though from trying to reach for you, you really are insatiable."

Undoing the cuffs Nanoha massaged Fate's wrists and shoulders before asking again, "Are you sure you're okay? That didn't freak you out?"

Fate smiled at the concern pulling Nanoha closer she nuzzled her neck and cheek pressing small kisses there as she said, "If anyone but you had done that to me I'd be screaming blue murder."

Pushing back Fate's messy bangs Nanoha kissed her forehead then rubbed their noses together as she said, "I don't understand how you can trust me so implicitly. How did I ever earn your trust?"

Kissing Nanoha and holding her close Fate answered, "Because you're Nanoha."

Sapphire eyes rolled at this corniness as Nanoha huffed, "I'm being serious Fate-chan."

Rolling them over so she was now hovering over Nanoha enticingly Fate said, "So was I. Everything about you makes me trust you. I don't understand how you can't see how special you are."

Holding Fate back from kissing her again Nanoha said seriously, "I am not fishing for compliments here Fate. This is something that I really don't understand. I love the fact that you trust me but the why baffles me."

The lack of honorific halted further teasing and made Fate realize how serious Nanoha was in needing an answer.

Shifting so they could lay on their side and actually talk Fate took Nanoha's hand and pressed it to her lips before saying, "Because you are the very definition of love. 'Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.'"*

Touched by this but not really believing it Nanoha replied with a touch of annoyance, "Fate we both know I am one of the most jealous people around and I am very quick to anger."

Petting Nanoha's cheek Fate said with a smile, "If you are so jealous why have you not made me give my relationship with Ginga or Chrono? If you are so quick to anger why are we not always arguing with you screaming at me? Love I know you aren't perfect, but you listen to me. You take the time to consider all the facts and even if you don't like my decisions you respect them. Do you know how many people have failed to even consider I have an opinion? How many people would willingly lie or bully me just to get what they want from me?"

Pulling the blonde in for another kiss Nanoha said, "If anyone is the definition of love it's you Fate-chan. I don't know if I'll ever be able to fully make you understand how special you are to me."

Sighing happily Fate pulled away to look at the clock, 9 am, "Well I guess it's a good thing we have the rest of our lives to show each other how much we love one another."

Nanoha's sensual smile at those words nearly drove Fate to discarding her plans for the day but she had to at least offer.

Giving her a small peck on the lips Fate then said, "I wanted to do something silly today but I don't know if you'll like it."

Humming Nanoha raised a questioning eyebrow to which Fate asked, "Would you like to go to Euro Disney with me?"

Nanoha's laughing, "Yes!" made it clear she liked the idea.

Rolling out of bed the pair got dressed and ready for a day at the happiness place on earth or at least that part of it.

~"~"~"~

Leaving the park after the night parade and a fun day of shows, rides and shopping Nanoha felt pleasantly exhausted. Fate was carrying a couple of large bags of souvenirs though Nanoha suspected Vivio and Einhart would have rather gone to the park themselves than the t-shirts and plush toys bought for them. Fate already had plans to arrange their chance to go to the park the coming summer when they returned but wasn't about to spill the beans on that yet.

Nanoha couldn't help smiling at Fate with her mouse ears and face paint; really the woman had no shame when it came to making her happy. She couldn't imagine anyone else doing the things Fate did to humor her. Hugging the giant Stitch plush doll Fate had won for her she couldn't help laughing a little at how much fun she had just had. Maybe they had been a little childish but seeing Fate smile, hearing her laugh and scream on the roller coasters and even sing along with a few of the songs during the shows would be some of the best memories she had of their honeymoon. This kind of carefree and relaxed Fate wasn't something you saw every day.

Climbing into the rental vehicle Nanoha held Fate's hand as they made their way back to their hotel. The soft murmur of the radio made the mood relaxing.

Looking over at Nanoha who was snuggled into her seat with her eyes closed and a contented smile on her face Fate asked, "Did you have fun?"

Smile widening Nanoha turned to her, eyes glowing with happiness she said, "I think that would be a bit of an understatement. I haven't been to a theme park since I was a teenager, it was a school trip and I don't think I had nearly as good a time as I did today."

"Alicia and Einhart love theme parks, they've been dragging me to them for years and I admit I like the roller coasters but neither of them do. Cia-nee is scared of heights and Ein-chan claims they're for kids, which I take to mean she's scared but of what exactly I'm not sure. They like to go to the shows and play games. Lots of games, Cia-nee used to quite the sportswoman and usually robs those places blind."

Considering Fate had excelled at all the games they played Nanoha suspected Fate was just as good a sportswomen as her sister. That made her wonder what else this enigmatic woman was hiding, well she had a whole lifetime to discover all her hidden talents.

Interlacing their fingers and giving Fate's hand a squeeze she said, "Well I think we need to have a big family outing. I'd like to see you and Cia-chan play a few games; I'm willing to bet my Fate-chan is just as good as her big sister. Plus between Vivio and Carim I think we can get our resident chickens on a few roller coasters. I have the feeling Carim will be a thrill seeker; she does love your sister after all."

Raising an eyebrow at this Fate asked, "And you love me so what does that say about you?"

Squeezing Fate's hand again Nanoha teased, "It says I am a genius and have fantastic taste."

"Ah-ha, and here I thought it meant you were crazy."

"Hmm, crazy for you maybe, I know my rational thinking usually takes a vacation when it comes to you."

It was at that point Nanoha realized Fate hadn't taken the main road back to the hotel. Instead she had pulled the car off the main road and they were now in a more sparsely inhabited area outside of the city. The rough sound of a gravel road suddenly made Nanoha realized they were nowhere she recognized.

"Fate-chan where are we?"

Fate just smiled at her mysteriously and continued driving for a few more minutes. Coming out of a clump of trees they came to the crest of a small hill. Stopping the car Fate got out of the car and went around the back and pulled out a blanket from the trunk before opening the door for Nanoha and pulling her out into the chilly night air. Shivering as a breeze caught her Nanoha pulled her jacket tighter around her before Fate wrapped her in her arms then pulled Nanoha around. Suddenly Nanoha saw the city's glow and all the colors of the sprawling metropolis. Sitting on the trunk of the vehicle Fate snuggled Nanoha in close to keep her warm, burying her face in Nanoha's hair and inhaling its sweet scent.

"Fate-chan how do you know about this place? This isn't one of Alicia's make out spots is it?" Nanoha asked a bit worried they actually might run into the blonde with Carim if that was the case.

Fate laughed at the worried tone and told her wife, "No, this isn't one of Alicia's spots. In fact I've never told her about this place. I was trying to find a house nearby and got turned around and found this place instead. It was during the day but the skyline was pretty even then. I came back later and the lights of the city were so beautiful I wanted to paint it. I haven't as of yet but I do like to come up here occasionally and just enjoy the view."

"So I am the only one you've brought here?"

"That's right. This is one of my thinking spots," Fate answered with a soft kiss to Nanoha's neck.

Closing her eyes and leaning back to melt into Fate's embrace Nanoha whispered, "We could make this our place."

To show her agreement with that statement a soft hand slid into Nanoha's jacket and under her sweater, it was cold but still made Nanoha's body heat up. As the chilly fingers toyed with her breasts she groaned and tried to burrow in deeper into Fate's body. When the other hand slid forward to undo her pants the cold made a startling comparison with her suddenly overheated core. The gentle probing into her pants made it difficult to sit still as Fate teased her mercilessly.

When a hot mouth closed over her neck and gently sucked on a sensitive spot Nanoha pleaded, "Please Fate…I-ah…I need you."

Then deft fingers began to plumb her depths as a strong arm kept her tightly pressed into a warm body and Fate whispered words of love and devotion into her ear. It didn't take long for her to succumb once more to Fate's loving and her body quaked with her release. As her body finally calmed Fate gently dislodged her fingers to quickly clean them then carefully fix her clothing. Turning to look at Fate she really didn't understand how this person had remained alone for so long. The people who had come across Fate before had to be idiots trying to force an image on her when her real self was a million times better.

Kissing Fate with all the love she could pour into it she felt more than heard Fate moan into their kiss and had to smile. Pulling back just enough to whisper against her lips, "I love you," then kiss her again with desperate need.

It was a delightful war of mouths and tongues that finally ended with Fate standing up and carrying Nanoha back to the front of the car. Placing her down panting for breath she said, "We are going back to the hotel. If we continue this out here one of us is sure to catch a cold."

Nanoha nuzzled her neck kissing it then nibbled on Fate's ear before teasingly whispering, "It's all Fate-chan's fault; she's the one who brought me out here to seduce me."

Then Nanoha slid into the vehicle leaving Fate standing in the cold. Blinking out of her Nanoha induced stupor Fate ran around the vehicle and quickly had them back on their way to their hotel.

~"~"~"~

The next four days went by in a flurry of tours of more of Fate's favorite places nearby, museums, shopping, theater shows and lazy moments where they could make love. Nanoha had never felt so special in her life. Fate made every effort to make each outing fun and romantic the only thing either of them really had to worry about during this relaxing time was continuing their hormone treatments so when the returned to Japan they both could immediately have their ovum harvested. Fate found the hormones made her hornier than normal; it had already been an issue for her since they became intimate to keep from touching Nanoha inappropriately in public or even in the privacy of their office but the hormones pills took it to a whole new level.

On the morning of New Years Eve they lay snuggled together knowing they would soon have to meet up with their families and spend the evening in company. Normally any kind of party where Nanoha could see Fate dressed up would be a reason for happiness but really she would have preferred to spend this first New Year's celebrating alone. The soft kiss on her forehead was the first indication Fate was getting out of bed. As the warm body shifted away Nanoha felt cold and inexplicitly lonely. Rubbing her arms Nanoha tried to control her strange emotions, she had always been emotional but the damn hormones Carim had the both of them on made it even worst for her. After a week of having Fate's undivided attention the idea of sharing the blonde with others made her irritable.

How Fate was able to maintain her calm and even emotional state was beyond Nanoha's comprehension. Especially with Nanoha going from one end of the emotional spectrum to the other this past month since the treatments began. Watching Fate pull on her robe Nanoha decided it'd be best to get dressed also and try to control her fluctuating emotions by concentrating on all the wonderful things Fate had done for her since they met.

Seeing Nanoha had gotten up made Fate smile and after she pulled her into a hug she kissed her softly then asked, "Since we have to check out at eleven anyway what do you say we pack up and spend the last of our free time taking a walk through the Jardin des Poètes?"

Nanoha suddenly no longer felt so cold or lonely with Fate's arms around her and the gentle love being shone on her. That and the fact that Fate appeared to be in no rush to return to the overcrowded house with their nosy family.

Smiling she gave Fate a quick peck on the lips and said, "I'd love that."

Their rental car was packed to the gills with all the souvenirs making Nanoha suddenly realize how much Fate had been spoiling her the past week. True a lot of the things were gifts for friends and family but most of it had been her idea and Fate had merely nodded her agreement and paid. Nanoha felt weirdly conflicted over the situation, was Fate trying to buy her love, was she using Fate? Shaking off the irrational thought and she tried to concentrate on the fact that they would be spending more alone time together.

When they arrived at the garden Fate quickly came around the vehicle and helped her out of the vehicle. Nanoha in a fit irrationality felt annoyed by the hand being offered and knowing she was being stupid tried to push the feeling aside and gave a strained smile as she took it.

They had been in the garden for about an hour and other than Fate reading and translating the poems displayed on plaques she had said very little. Quite honestly Fate was trying to keep from pushing Nanoha into some dark spot on the path and devouring her again. Since waking she had been hornier than a jackrabbit and was only holding on to her self control by the tips of her fingers. If Nanoha made one even slightly suggestive move towards her it would make her crack which was why at this moment she was keeping very quiet.

They had come to Marie-Antoinette Cordina-Fontana Mon Jardin poem and translated the poem in her head and it made her think this one in particular was apropos for nearly any moment involving her wife. In her warm and gentle voice Fate recited:

If my little garden, so laughing, so pretty

Kindly offers its calm and freshness

Grouping all its flowers, it forms a large bouquet

Honeysuckle ocher diffuses its scent.

The rose vermilion awash portal

With light wind at its spicy fragrance

And fully opens a wide range

On the old support interlaced wood.

The ivy climbs briskly along the wall

In its leaves sometimes sneaks a bird

This tiny Eden crowned by the blue

Stops short before a curtain of beads.

There was something about the way Fate recited this poem that made Nanoha pause. The blonde could be so mysterious sometimes, her words having layers of meanings, the look in her eyes more telling than a volume of words. With her nerves already frayed by her spiking hormones Nanoha was reaching the end of her tether. Knowing now wasn't really the place but something in Fate's bearing pushed her to confront her wife on some points they hadn't finalized.

They hadn't really decided where they were going to live or what name changes if any they were going to adopt and really that was down to Fate saying she'd do whatever made Nanoha happy. What would make her happy though would be knowing what went on in that beautiful blonde head half the time. Fate could be silent for hours and only speak when Nanoha finally asked her a question. Even a year later Fate didn't do small talk, she'd share a story or explain something then she'd go back to being a quiet observer.

"Fate-chan, I want to take your name when we get back to Japan. I also want you to move in with me, I know you have your work space in your house but I don't see why you can't continue to use that space, Alicia seems to expect you too."

Fate turned to look at Nanoha and for the first time really thought about what she wanted, Testarossa Nanoha, the thought didn't settle right with her, Takamachi-Testarossa Nanoha, no it didn't sound right, Nanoha was Takamachi Nanoha. Then she thought about the other options, keeping her name Fate Testarossa, no thanks, hyphenating her name, Fate Takamachi-Testarossa, no really the combination sounded so strange, Fate Takamachi, Takamachi Feito if she was going for accuracy.

"Nanoha, would you be angry if I asked you not to change your name?" Fate asked hesitantly.

Feeling more than a bit hurt by this Nanoha answered with a question, "Do you not want me to share your name?"

"Honestly no…" Fate said only to stop when she saw Nanoha duck her head to hide her tears.

Unsure why Nanoha was hurting but knowing it was something she had done Fate came over to her and took her hands. Nanoha didn't grasp her back but stood there with her hands limp trying not to cry.

"Love do you really want to use my name? I would have thought you'd want to keep your name especially after everything you've gone through to get it back."

Trying not to choke on her hormonally charged words Nanoha replied, "What's the point of you marrying me if we don't share the same name? Are you ashamed of me? Am I not good enough to be a Testarossa?"

Suddenly horrified by the realization Nanoha thought she was rejecting her Fate threw her arms around her and pulled her into a tight hug. Holding her closely as tried to find the proper words finally Fate said, "You are too good for the name Testarossa Nanoha. I want to take your name. I want everyone to know I am your wife; I want you to claim me completely. I want to be Takamachi Feito."

Nanoha pulled back and looked at her like she was crazy, exasperated Nanoha said, "Fate-chan, you're famous. Your artwork sells because of your name. If you change it you will lose that visibility your name gives you. It'd be better if I took your name; no one really knows who I am in the industry, if anything taking your name might even help my career."

Frowning at this logic Fate sighed, "Love I could care less about my artistic career. Between my work as an ad designer and my inheritance there's no need for me to sell anything. I have always painted to make myself happy, if my patrons don't like my new name then so be it. Honestly it's rather annoying to know some of my work is owned by vapid rich people who just want to show off to their _friends_. You keep saying you want everyone to know I belong to you; well I want that as well. I also want to be rid of my family name; unlike you I am not particularly proud of mine. I love your family; I respect them for everything they've accomplished, especially for having raised such a wonderful daughter. If I could take your name it would make me immensely proud."

Looking Fate in the eyes Nanoha tried to comprehend this turn of events, she had thought Fate would at most hyphenate her name but this was too much. Holding Fate tightly Nanoha asked, "Are you sure this is what you want? This could ruin your career Fate. You've work so hard to make a name for yourself. People know who you are but once you do this Takamachi Feito will be a non-entity."

Pulling Nanoha's left hand between them she kissed her ring finger saying, "No, I won't. I'll be your wife."

That ended Nanoha's hormonal roller coaster and left her on a peak so high she had to jump Fate then and there. Kissing her wife hard she quickly found herself being picked up and carried. A few hazy moments later Nanoha found herself being pressed into a vine covered alcove by a voracious blonde. How Fate had even known this place existed and found it as they were fully engaged in kissing would be something to wonder about later. Now Fate was pulling at Nanoha's clothing and exposing her body to the cool winter air.

Nipples already erect with need tightened in the chill then found the cold accentuate when a hot mouth suckled them before pulling away to allow a cool breeze to blow across them. The gasp and shiver fed the monster inside Fate; soon she was descending lower kissing the hot skin of Nanoha's stomach before kneeling before her prize. Pushing Nanoha's long skirt up she found pink silk panties already moist with need. Pushing them aside she let her mouth worship once more her lover's most sacred spot.

Nanoha had a finger in her mouth biting down hard to keep from making noise. Her other hand was buried in Fate's hair, fingers flexing with each delightful swipe of a wicked tongue. Fate wasn't being patient and gentle; there was a raging need to feel Nanoha succumb to her once more. When a long chilly finger worked its way into her hot passage Nanoha nearly collapsed from the sheer intensity of the feeling. Unlike the other night she wasn't being held tightly by Fate while sitting; now she was fighting to maintain her upright position as Fate continued her erotic assault.

The feeling of a second finger joining the first then their curling over her sweet spot made Nanoha groan around her finger as she finally felt her body release its built up tension. The pleasure of her release was extended as Fate drank up her delicious release, her flickering tongue seeking out every drop. Pulling back Fate carefully resettled Nanoha's clothing before pulling her down to the ground with her. Settling Nanoha in her lap and snuggling her tightly made sitting on the cold ground immensely worthwhile.

Kissing her forehead before nuzzling her hair to take in her wonder scent Fate felt a small bit of her own edginess had been dampened by their little encounter. The warmth of Fate's arms and the euphoric high from their love making had settled Nanoha's frayed nerves almost as much as their discussion had. It was a few minutes before Nanoha was even able to find words to speak.

"Fate-chan?"

"Hmm?" was all the reply Fate could muster, she was so happy at that moment she didn't want to move.

"How is it you are able to maintain such an even and calm disposition when I'm all over the place?" Nanoha asked with a hint of frustration at herself.

Fate smiled into Nanoha's hair and replied, "What makes you think I am calm at all?"

Nanoha pulled away making Fate groan pitifully, looking at the blonde suddenly she could see the small signs of Fate's agitation. Signs she had missed in her own emotionally overwrought mind. The small stress lines around her eyes and mouth, the hint of fearful hesitation in her beautiful eyes.

Petting Fate's cheek she had to ask, "What's wrong love? What can I do to help you?"

Fate smiled and kissed Nanoha again her seeking tongue tasting her before pulling back to say breathlessly, "Honestly I'm in a constant state of arousal around you. I want you, I really didn't want to get out of bed and I don't want to deal with our families tonight. I want to take you somewhere and love you until we pass out from exhaustion. I would think my taking advantage of you in public would make it clear how little control I have at this point."

Nanoha thought about Fate's words and felt a surge of relief at knowing she wasn't the only one suffering from their hormone treatment. This also explained why Fate went from cuddle monster to holding herself reserved. In their hotel room Fate would wrap herself around Nanoha and make love to her over and over again if allowed. The hormones though made Nanoha more aggressive and that situation wouldn't last for long luckily Fate was just as happy to let Nanoha take the lead. But out in public Fate had kept their interactions to hand holding and small pecks on the lips.

Letting a hand cup Fate's neck to hold her still Nanoha asked, "Would you like to skip out on the ball tonight and just spend the evening together?"

Fate's jaw worked as she controlled her first reaction which would have found Nanoha pinned to the ground as she kissed her senseless. Thinking sensibly was a difficult thing with a beautiful woman softly touching her and looking at her with gorgeous sapphire eyes.

Taking a deep breath Fate said, "I'd like very much to spend tonight alone with you but I know you have been looking forward to the ball and I've been greedy enough for a lifetime the past couple of days. Vivio and Einhart are expecting us and I won't have it said I'm a bad step parent neglecting her or causing you to neglect her."

Shaking her head with a rueful smile Nanoha said, "Fate-chan you are too good. Is it any wonder we all love you?"

With eyes full of sincerity Fate said, "Love, I am not too good and honestly all I want right now is to be kissing you senseless before I make you come screaming my name. Considering we are in a public place right now I am holding on to my self control by the barest thread imaginable. Tonight when you're all dressed up in that gown you bought I am going to be spending most of the night fighting the urge to run off with you to do things that could see us banned from the university."

The giggling 'Nyahaha,' wasn't the response Fate thought she'd receive, frowning a bit she said, "Nanoha I am not use to not being in control of myself. Even before the hormone treatments you were irresistible and now I find myself thinking of doing things to you more in line with being an exhibitionist. I never want to put you in a position where you would be shamed by my actions."

Running a loving hand through Fate's blonde locks Nanoha said, "Fate-chan what would you do if I told you no?"

Blinking in confusion Fate answered, "I'd stop. I would never force myself on you."

Nanoha merely smiled at the response and waited for Fate to put two and two together.

Blushing Fate said, "Nanoha you can't seriously enjoy my insanity!"

Kissing Fate softly before she replied with a wicked smile, "It's a shared insanity love. I am just as crazy over you as you are for me. Surely you've realized by now that I can't get enough of you?"

Fate felt relieved over this admission. She knew Nanoha wanted her, that was self evident, but to know her wife would accept her own neediness and revel in it made it easier to relinquish some of her control.

Kissing Nanoha this time without the urgent need but with love she then pulled back to say, "You should know I am just as insatiable as you my love. There is a reason why I have never told you no. I love the feel of you, even when I feel tired or irritated you make me forget the things that bother me."

Smiling mischievously Nanoha asked, "Even when I'm the one irritating you?"

Fate hands dipped down and squeezed Nanoha's bottom as she replied playfully, "Even when you are being irritating you are incredibly sexy. I can't help thinking about kissing you senseless but I restrain myself because I know you'd hate it if I treated you like that. I appreciate the fact that you need to express yourself and try to listen and do what I can to relieve your grievances."

Shaking her head with a wistful smile Nanoha replied, "You are a saint, you know that?"

"Are you saying you aren't? You put up with my foibles better than I could ever imagine anyone ever doing. I know you want me to talk more but I don't have a clue on what to say sometimes. I know you wanted me to make more decisions regarding our wedding but again I hadn't a clue on what to do. You are infinitely patient with me, true you can jump to the wrong conclusion sometimes but at least you don't run away or let things fester. You confront me about them and give me a chance to explain myself."

Hugging Fate and burying her face in golden locks Nanoha sighed, "I am glad we found each other. I can't imagine being this happy with anyone else."

Holding her most precious being tightly Fate said, "I've never been this happy. I didn't think it was possible."

They sat together snuggled in a tight embrace for a few moments until Nanoha noticed Fate's legs twitch beneath her and she realized how uncomfortable the position had to be. Pulling away to stand up she was amused by the groan of dismay Fate made. The blonde really would suffer anything just for the privilege to hold her.

Reaching out her hand to Fate she helped her to her feet declaring, "Come on Fate-chan, we need to get home. Our family is waiting for us and we still need to get ready for tonight. I plan on dancing with my wife tonight and making every person there jealous by giving you the hottest kiss imaginable at midnight."

Fate was smiling at first then nearly stumbled in shock making Nanoha giggle. Pulling the blonde out of the alcove they made their way back to the car and back to reality.

~"~"~"~

A/N2: Now that the honeymoon is over should I write out the New Year's Ball or jump straight into the pregnancy phase. I am leaning towards pregnancy and doing a few flash backs. Honestly I want Nanoha preggers but I leave the final decision to you my delightful readers. Once again I have nothing written and will await your wonderful feedback.

*1 Corinthians 13:4-7, probably the best definition of love I have ever heard. Please don't rant at me for using a religious text in my story, especially one with smut. The Bible has plenty of smutty material in it for those who know where to look for it. Whether you believe in the Christian God or not, or a follower of Biblical teachings you do have to give the writers of the Bible props for the poetic nature of most of the text.


	16. Chapter 16: New Year, New Life

A/N: Special Thanks to Kuraa for Beta reading this, I have been under the weather for the past week and she gave this a look over to make sure I didn't make a complete hash of this chapter. I apologize to my readers as this should have been uploaded yesterday but I spent the entire day playing Undertale with my brother. Laughing my head off and reading the dialogue like an idiot, I nearly lost my voice…it was so worth it. Spending time with my brother really helped recharge my batteries so hopefully the next chapter won't be so long in the making.

Side Note of No Importance: OMG Undyne/Alphys are YURI! I jokingly choose this as the crush and actually got to see proof this is canon! Domestic Partnership of major dorks. Papyrus is such a lesbro. Oh there was so much yuri and yaoi goodness in Undertale I was dying. I suck at playing computer games so I miss out on so much, thank god for gamer brother for sharing this silly game with me. I am alive again with insanity! hOI! Temmie!

Disclaimer: I do not own MGLN or any of its characters. No claim of ownership or money is made from this story.

~"~"~"~

Chapter 16: New Year, New Life

Fate was doing all she could to remain calm but the current circumstances were proving she had not quite gotten over her childhood trauma as fully as she had thought. She had always hated visiting doctors; it was only Alicia's insistence that saw her seeing her doctor annually for checkups. She could count on one hand the number of times she had gone to the doctor for an actual illness since reaching adulthood. When ill she'd rather suffer through it with the assistance of over-the-counter drugs than spend even a second in a doctor's office. But she had suggested this process and had thought enough time had passed to make the scent of antiseptic and the cold sterility of a doctor's office something she could deal with equanimity.

She closed her eyes and the sharp scent of antiseptic made her stomach roil with anxiety but she pushed that away as she tried to concentrate on _why_ she was in this situation at all. Auburn hair, sapphire eyes, pink lips and that smile and laugh that filled her life with color. She conjured the image of _her wife_ and felt a weak smile come to her lips at the memory of said wife descending the stairs in the elegant evening gown she had worn just two nights ago making her already rapidly beating heart speed up. After dealing with their nosy family and dispersing gifts each had been dragged off to be "properly" dressed by their respective sisters. The lustful look in Nanoha's eyes when she looked at her that night still sent shivers of delight through her body.

The night had dragged on as so many people wanted to meet the newlywed couple and offer their congratulations and some even managed to run off with either one of them for a dance. Fate had been incredibly disgruntled by the number of men who had come sniffing around _her_ Nanoha. Then her sister had to make her possessiveness a thousand times worse by switching partners with her when she finally got her wife back in her arms leaving her with Carim. How she was able to get through the dance without stepping on her partner's feet was a miracle as she was too busy glaring at her obviously flirting sister to pay the slightest attention to the woman in her arms. Carim would have been offended if she hadn't found the entire situation hilarious. Alicia had a plan to make the pair go nuts before midnight to see if they could get any more out of character moments from her normally passive sister.

By the time the countdown had come upon the party Nanoha was on the other side of the ballroom and Fate was struggling to escape all her sister's compatriots to make it to her wife before the strike of midnight. Nanoha was no better actually pushing a drunken man out of her way when he seemed to be angling for her and a midnight kiss. Two seconds to spare the pair met up almost in the center of the room only for Nanoha to grab her wife possessively and engaged her in the hottest kiss anyone in the room had ever seen. The fact that Fate reciprocated fully while holding the auburn haired woman in an iron grip was probably the main reason for the dumbfounded looks they received for the remainder of that party. Alicia's calculating look as she watched the pair was enough to make Fate tighten her hold on her wife and drag her out of the crowded ballroom to a more _private_ location.

The sound of someone entering the room made her open her eyes and set her back on edge. The nurse who came in wasn't who she wanted to see at this moment. While she was attractive enough and quite friendly the fact that she was now setting up an IV on the back of her hand was enough to make her lose what little composure she had been able to maintain. Various parts of her mind seemed to shut down as her childhood fear began to reclaim her. The woman continued to chat with her but received zero response from the now nearly mentally frozen Fate.

It was only when the door to the examination room opened for the second time that she found any relief to her terror when she saw her wife once more. Nanoha took in the stress lines around Fate's eyes and mouth and immediately came to her side and took her free hand. A hand cold and clammy with nerves which shocked Nanoha, never had she witnessed Fate in such an extreme physical state of fear during her waking hours. Nanoha was used to dealing with her wife's infrequent night terrors which had her waking with a silent scream and sweating which only seemed to happen when they weren't able to sleep in the same bed. Having a midnight call from Alicia begging her to come over to deal with a distraught Fate had lead to them taking turns sleeping at each other's homes throughout their engagement. But now Fate was showing all the signs of the aftermath of one such night terror, her body almost imperceptibly trembling and eyes dilated with fear. Fate seemed on the edge of some perilous precipice, one false move could send her into a terror induced state of catatonia.

Kissing her wife gently Nanoha whispered against her lips, "If you can't do this love I'll understand."

The exchange caused the nurse to look at the pair questioningly, had she hurt her patient? Neither of the women paid her the least attention so she quickly retreated and called her employer over for further direction. Carim reassured her nurse and told her to gather the needed materials for the procedure and to wait outside the examination room in a few minutes. Knowing Fate would need at least five minutes alone with her wife to regain some composure based on her discussions with Alicia. Would the younger blonde be able to get through this or was this all for naught? She'd find out soon enough.

Fate gave a shuddering sigh and pulled Nanoha closer to her. Burying her face in the nape of her wife's neck she took a steadying breath before saying, "I want to do this. The smell of this place is getting to me but if you will just stay close to me I should be able to handle it."

Wrapping her arms around Fate she held her close as she sooth her nerves by gently rubbing circles on her upper back. Soon the warmth and sweet scent of Nanoha had relaxed Fate to the point of exhausted dozing. The night before she had begun to get nervous and was only able to fitfully sleep. If Nanoha hadn't been there she likely wouldn't have gotten even that. Nanoha herself was a bundle of nerves but from excitement and had originally thought Fate was feeling the same. The obvious fact was Fate had been growing steadily more anxious and she had missed the signs, Nanoha felt like kicking herself for her inattention to Fate's delicately balanced nerves.

When Carim came in she instantly saw the pair snuggled together. The warning from Alicia that Fate might be high-strung during the procedure appeared to be an understatement. Coming over to the pair she carefully took Fate's pulse and blood pressure and witnessed both begin to climb nearly off the charts. The shuddering breathing and tightening of her grip on Nanoha making it clear this was the only thing keeping her from fleeing the room or perhaps fainting dead away. Having read the Fate's medical records she understood where the fear was coming from and could only hope the blonde would actually allow her to inject the anesthesia to calm her. Reaching for the syringe might be the straw that broke the camel's back and made her crack under the emotional strain. Clearly Nanoha's presence was going to be absolutely necessary if the blonde was going to get through this.

Clearing her throat to catch Nanoha's attention the auburn haired woman only turned her head to look in her direction; smiling weakly at her worried face Carim asked, "You both ready?"

Fate hearing Carim's voice felt tears begin to leak from her eyes but was able to hold back the storm of sobs that seemed to be choking her when she felt Nanoha hug her a bit tighter.

Kissing the warm skin of her wife's neck in gratitude Fate then replied almost breathlessly, "As ready as I'll ever be."

Shifting so she could block Fate's view of Carim and what she was about to do but still allowing the doctor unobstructed access to Fate Nanoha queried, "Will this be okay? I don't want to let her go."

Nodding her acceptance of the position Carim then moved to the IV stand and the already flowing bag of saline, carefully she fished out the syringe of anesthesia from her coat pocket and injected it quickly before hiding the syringe once more in her pocket. The last thing she needed was Fate to see the offensive device and panic, according to her records she could fight off low to medium doses of anesthesia with the vast amounts of adrenaline her body produced when in a panicked state. Cautiously she now began to hook up the monitoring devices that would let her know how her patient was fairing. The rapid beep of the pulse monitor made it clear Fate was anything but calm while her blood pressure was almost alarming. It was a long minute before the medium dose of sedation medication began to work and Fate started to relax.

Watching the monitors and by having Fate count back until she trailed off into sleep she soon determined they were ready for the next step. Going to the door she invited her nurse back into the room with her tray of implements, more objects Fate most definitely did not need to see. Moving her legs to the stirrups of the examining table she then picked up the ultrasound probe with its suction needle. The next few minutes were ones of high stress for Carim, not only would she have Nanoha on her but her lover if anything happened to the woman now under her care.

Finally the procedure was completed and she carefully extracted the probe. It had been one of the cleanest procedures she had ever done. But the worse was still yet to come. While Nanoha and Alicia were frightening, Fate was in a whole other league, with them it would only be her career at an end. If she should somehow harm Nanoha she could consider not only her career but also her life at an end. She couldn't count on Alicia to protect her from Fate's rage; it would be very likely the younger twin would rip through her without a thought in her rampage to get to the one who dared harm _her_ Nanoha.

Allowing Fate to recuperate the mandatory two hours under observation to confirm no complications she then released the pair to take a breather away from the clinic for a short while which also allowed Carim to center herself for the next extraction. When they returned an hour later, the look in Fate's eyes made it abundantly clear there would be no mercy if _anything_ happened to Nanoha. It was also clear that if Fate wasn't the subject of the medical procedure she had less fear of the medical devices or perhaps it was the fact that she was now in hyper-protective mode and nothing was going to move her from Nanoha's side.

Knowing that Fate would likely glare at Carim the entire time (and how highly unhelpful to her nerves that would be) Nanoha took Fate's face in her hands before the anesthesia was injected. Pulling her lover down to her she kissed her softly on the lips then her cheeks and eyes before telling her, "I want you to look only at me. Don't turn away from me. When I wake up I want to be looking into your eyes."

Fate's jaw worked and Nanoha could feel the muscles tense under her fingers. Letting her thumbs brush Fate's cheeks in a soothing manner Nanoha spoke a bit more forcefully, "I'll be fine Fate-chan. If you can't handle this then it would be best for you to wait in the lobby."

Fate's already cramping stomach tightened painfully and she shook her head, then covering Nanoha's hands she turned to kiss the palm of each before stating, "I'm not going anywhere. I promise I won't take my eyes off you. When you wake up I'll be right by your side. I'd go crazy if you made me wait outside. I need to know you're okay," then in a quiet voice she almost whispered, "still breathing."

Carim heard the exchange and tried to reassure Fate, "I promise you Fate-chan, I will do everything I can to make sure this goes as smoothly as possible. I have thoroughly gone through both of your medical records and made sure Nanoha has no drug allergies and will be using the lowest most effective dose of anesthesia possible. There will be very little risk to Nanoha, I have already done everything I can to mitigate the possibilities of anything going wrong. Now I'm going to start the procedure, just think of this as Nanoha taking a little nap and it will all soon be over."

While Carim may have been displaying a calm and assured attitude she went through the extraction process as if her life depended on it and only once her nurse was leaving with the sample did she let out a sigh of relief. The couple then moved to the recovery room once more where Fate hovered over her sleeping wife. The mild cramps Fate was feeling meant nothing to her to the worry she had over her beloved. When Nanoha's still hazy eyes opened the first thing she saw was Fate just as she requested. Taking in her worried state she reached out drunkenly to sooth Fate's frown lines. Fate caught the weakly swaying arm and pulled her hand to her mouth where she pressed kisses to it in her relief that Nanoha was once more conscious and responsive.

That night Fate tried to relax as she curled into Nanoha but each time she shut her eyes she was _there_ again. Rolling on to her back Fate tried to push the images away but instead they grew stronger. Getting up she went downstairs for something to drink, anything to move and breathe fresh air. Hands now shaking she moved through the process of making tea and it was only by keeping her eyes open that she was able to retain any measure of calm. Drinking down the mug of tea did little to melt the chuck of ice that had formed in her stomach.

Running her hands through her hair Fate tried to focus on the present but the whole experience of the day had brought the past back in sharp relief, the shadows were mother. The darkness making the homey kitchen her lab, the gleaming surfaces now held the devastating devices once used on her young body. Soon Fate was vomiting in the sink and completely unable to control the shuddering as she relapsed into memories of torture. When she finally awoke from her silent night terror she was drenched in sweat and weak.

Carefully she made her way to the bathroom and showered, pulling on her robe after she dried herself she looked into the mirror and could see she was a wreck. Hoping this would be a onetime thing Fate then returned to her bedroom and saw Nanoha was fitfully searching for her in their bed. Sliding into the bed she pulled the smaller woman to her and tried to relax. It seemed for a moment to work then the words came back to her. She was broken, ruined, she was without worth, she had no future except perhaps more pain. Even if she somehow tricked someone into caring for her, theirs would be a life of bareness.

Guilt and despair began to worm its way into Fate subconscious that night. By the next morning Fate's long dead tormentor had once more claimed a small victory over her. The quiet way she moved through her morning routine might not have seemed all that different but the slight curve to her normally straight spine spoke volumes to her internal defeat. The resigned and haunted look to her eyes grew each day from then on despite the loving touches Nanoha poured over her. Soon Fate was pulling away as her self-disgust grew, Nanoha deserved better, she was a lying fraud for allowing Nanoha to tie herself to her.

As the first week passed the couple took their antibiotics to prevent infection and tried to be patient as Carim worked her magic. The chemical wash the eggs had to soak in allowed her to extract the genetic material and begin the process of verifying the health of the material and then blend the separate samples together. Each woman had given a fair number of eggs and all appeared to be healthy which meant there would be enough for more than one implantation attempt. Each pairing she attempted to make was successful, now all she needed was the time to allow the zygotes to develop to the blastocyst stage then they'd be ready for implantation. As each step was completed she kept the couple fully informed but it was clear Fate didn't believe her reports.

The nearly three weeks needed for the process allowed Fate to descend into a deep depression from the fear that the whole thing would fail. She _knew_ her eggs were damaged; there was no way the genetic material would blend correctly. If somehow there was a usable blastocyst it would eventually show abnormalities, then Nanoha would be faced with the need to terminate the pregnancy further harming her lover's delicate psyche. Carim's reassurances that everything was progressing normally did little to relieve her mind, there would be no children and then Nanoha would realize how worthless she really was. Berating herself Fate wanted to scream each time someone mentioned the upcoming appointment where Carim would confirm how many viable blastocysts she had developed and proceed to the next stage, implantation.

Fate was now unable to even look her wife in the eyes as she thought about the upcoming failure she was sure was coming. All she wanted was to make Nanoha happy, to make all her dreams come true but surely the things her mother had done to her would have ruined that forever. Why had she deluded herself into believing she could ever have a normal life, a family? God, she was such a lying manipulative bitch for putting Nanoha in this position, she should have been more open with her past. There was no way this was going to succeed.

Nanoha watched Fate as each passing day went by and struggled to understand why she was turning into herself, it was becoming a repeat of the time when Fate had been hiding her scars. She flinched and there was a resigned hopelessness in her eyes that now seemed to be permanent. Waking two weeks into the waiting period and finding Fate crying made Nanoha feel sick with her perceived selfishness. She was driving her lover crazy with her need for children, perhaps this whole thing should be called off. Carim still had Reinforce and Hayate to fall back on to finish her human testing on but even if she didn't at this point only Fate's mental health mattered to her.

Turning to the only person who had more experience with Fate's moods than herself she sat down with Alicia at the Testarossa home for lunch having arranged for Suzuka to take Fate out. Nanoha had turned to her old friend as she was one of the few people Fate seemed to get along with quite well and trusted, hoping the purple haired heiress might have more luck in getting Fate to open up. As much as the thought horrified her that Fate could trust anyone more than her she really was growing desperate and was clutching at straws. Sitting in front of Alicia she tried to organize her mind for the coming discussion, Fate was shutting down and this time she wasn't going to be fobbed off with a 'wait and trust her.' Fate was hurting and something had to be done immediately.

Alicia toyed with her glass of fruit juice and asked almost too casually, "Has she gone off the deep end yet?"

Nanoha was ready to throttle the seemingly heartless blonde but calmed herself knowing the idiot liked to mess her emotions. How anyone could think Alicia was attractive was beyond her, but to each their own.

Sighing Nanoha said, "She is shutting down and I don't know why. We talked about children and I thought she wanted them but if she can't handle this then I would rather she just say it so we can just move on with our lives. I've told her that I'd rather have her than any number of children. Without her my life wouldn't be worth living, I know that sounds extreme but it's the truth, I wouldn't survive losing her."

Petting Nanoha's clenching hands that laid on the tabletop Alicia gave her a sad smile and reined in her normal black humor that she used to get through any discussions relating to Fate's childhood trauma. She could already feel the hot tears in her eyes and the lump grow in her throat as she thought about what her sister had suffered. Clearing her throat she began the painful conversation, first things first she had to figure out exactly what Fate had told Nanoha to determine how much she'd have to revel.

"What do you know about the abuse Fate suffered? I know you've seen her scars but did she go into any detail regarding what was done to her by our mother?"

"Fate let me read her medical records, not that I was able to make much sense of them. The whole thing read like a horror novel, why on earth would anyone want to push metal needles into someone's abdomen? The surgical line where they removed…um well…never mind. She tried to explain some of the technical terms but really I'd rather she not think about the past. I want her to be happy and move on. I know she'll never forget what happened to her but there are better things she can be focused on than the past."

"So you know about the chemical experiments our mother performed?"

Nanoha's brows knitted, "Chemical experiments?"

Sighing Alicia looked up at the ceiling as if praying silently for strength then went on, "Our mother was a bio-chemist, she developed drugs and drug therapies that have saved thousands of lives. She was the leading mind in her field, her descent into madness wasn't just a family tragedy, it was a human tragedy. She could have done so much more for the world if only she had gotten help, or at least she wouldn't now be despised in medical circles. Our family name has forever been tarnished by her crimes but that's beside the point. When she had Fate alone she nearly killed her a number of times. But she still had the skills of her profession and used them to keep her alive."

"Mother would hook her up to IVs and pump her full of various drug cocktails, vitamins and god only knows what. Many times she'd have to dose her with antibiotics after the things she did and gave her saline and an experimental blood substitute to help her survive the massive amounts of blood loss she suffered. The doctors did tests and noticed some of the drugs in her system were experimental medicines mother had been developing but were nowhere near ready for human testing. They had no idea how they would affect Fate's development."

"Nanoha, right now my sister is freaking out over the idea that her eggs are nonviable and she'll never be able to give you the children you want. We've all heard you go on about wanting to spoil little Fate-chans, she knows you want her children and that makes this doubly hard on her."

Nanoha wanted to curl into a ball and cry at the inherent unfairness of life. Fate had suffered so much already and now she, the person who claimed to love her more than life itself, was causing her so much more pain. Fate deserved so much more than this.

Looking up at Alicia with pain stricken eyes Nanoha declared, "I don't care if she can't have children. If she had just told me then we could have just forgone this whole mess. Why…why did she even suggest it?"

Alicia chuckled a little through her own tears at the sheer stupidity of the situation then clarified the situation, "Nanoha, Fate is perfectly healthy. She's as fertile as I am. If Carim had even suspected she wasn't then she wouldn't have allowed either of you to participate in this procedure."

Confused Nanoha demanded, "Then why the hell is she acting this way?! If she doesn't want children then that's fine with me but to drive herself nuts for no reason is ridiculous!"

Agreeing mentally with this assertion but needing to explain her sister's wonky thinking Alicia went on, "Nanoha this has nothing to do with children really. This is all our mother's fault. Some of those experiments she did on Fate were done with placebos, in one particular case she told Fate an injection would make her sterile. Mother really could have sterilized her but she also seemed conflicted over the idea. She never touched Fate's sexual organs, mother was a devote Catholic growing up and the taboos she grew up with seemed to have protected Fate from some really horrible tortures."

The disbelieving look on Nanoha's face made Alicia continue to prove her point, "Nanoha, the procedure you and Fate are currently going through was only possible because of the work our mother did, the chemical solution your eggs were soaking in originally was developed from some of her early work. Mother wanted to do more experiments with human fertility and could have harvested Fate's ovaries and kept them alive in a Petri dish. If Fate had been a bit older she might have impregnated her with a supply of semen she had in her lab. I am telling you Nanoha the stuff our mother did was bad enough, the stuff she somehow restrained herself from doing could have really ruined Fate. The child I found in that house of horrors wasn't the sister I remembered, but if mother had done the things she could have there wouldn't have even been a shell. I am not trying to say our mother wasn't evil incarnate because she was, she used Fate's awareness of what she could do to mentally torture her. That's what Fate is dealing with right now. The fucked up shit our mother told her as she was injecting god only knows what into her body."

Nanoha didn't know what to do, nothing would stop her loving Fate but it seemed all she ever did was make her remember her worst experiences. Rubbing her face in frustration Nanoha then asked, "Would it be best if I just called this whole thing off? I don't want her to hurt anymore Cia. Please what can I do to make this right?"

Shaking her head Alicia answered, "Don't try to call this off. It would make matters worse in the end. Right now she's focused on her medical issues but if she really starts to worry about your relationship it will become a million times worse. According to Carim everything is proceeding normally with the process. She hasn't found a single anomaly with Fate's genetic material, or the developing blastocysts so you two should have a healthy baby before the end of the year. Once you're pregnant Fate should calm down, well at least over this aspect. Be prepared for her to be hyper-protective of you, anyone so much jostling you could find themselves in the hospital. I'd almost recommend you two taking a leave of absence during the pregnancy, Fate's behavior could become… erratic."

Nanoha almost smiled at that last bit, her Fate-chan could be incredibly protective…and possessive of her. Possessive might be the definition of their relationship, neither of them liked anyone else getting close to their partner. Both had suffered loneliness and pain in their past, both clung to the other and found relief from those feelings for the first time.

Biting her lip in contemplation Nanoha mumbled to herself, "I still need to do something in the meantime to help Fate-chan. I don't think she's had a decent night's sleep since the extraction process," then her voice faltered as she admitted aloud, "We haven't made love since then either."

Catching the incredulous look on Alicia's face made her feel defensive and blurt out, "First it was because Carim warned us it'd be a better to wait a few days but then Fate started pulling away from me and our periods sure didn't help. This is the longest we've ever gone without but I don't know how to get the mood right. I don't just want to jump her like some pervert. The last thing I want is her to think I just want her for sex."

Nanoha's head fell to the table as she thought about the muddled mess she had found herself in. Why couldn't life just be straightforward for once? Fate was dealing with the aftermath of mental torture, how the hell was she supposed to help her? It didn't help the more depressed Fate got the more her own insecurities tried to rear their own ugly heads, each time Fate flinched or pulled away her own fragile self-confidence and belief they could work through their problems cracked.

Alicia rolled her eyes at this display of dejection. Petting her sister-in-law once again but this time on her head which made the auburn haired woman try to wave her off making Alicia laugh, "If you want big sister to help you, you best be more accommodating."

Glaring at the blonde Nanoha huffed, "And how is big sister going to be any help in this? If memory serves you seem to only cause trouble and embarrassment when you try to "help," I have enough issues without having to deal with a humiliated Fate-chan."

Pouting Alicia said brattily, "I was going to suggest the two of you use my beach house for a retreat but never mind."

Knowing Fate really didn't like the beach anyway Nanoha wasn't about to start pleading for a reprieve, frowning she asked, "Do you really think that's all it will take, a weekend away? That seems pretty weak, Fate needs professional help Alicia."

Alicia rolled her eyes, "Fate has had years of professional help. She's ignoring everything she has ever learned in those sessions because she's focusing on you. She needs you to reassure her. You may need to take a page out of your sister's book and sit on her though. She seems hell-bent on wallowing in self-pity and recrimination."

"Huh?"

Leaning in Alicia flicked Nanoha's nose and said, "Very verbose response there. Let me explain properly for the hard of thinking. Fate knows she's healthy. Fate knows you love her and won't leave her even if she was sterile. Fate has had years of therapy to help her recognize and work through her negative thoughts. But all those facts are currently being overridden by the sick little voice in her head that sometimes gets the best of her. Before you came into the picture and she fell into these funks I'd have to strip her and take a bath with her. Nothing kinky mind, but the fact that anyone was willing to even touch her was usually enough of a shock to the system to break her out of her negative thinking. It's why Einhart and I tried to make it a regular thing for one of us to bathe with her, she needs not only verbal but physical reassurance that she's loved and accepted."

Nanoha searched Alicia's face for deception and found none, "Is it really that simple? She keeps pulling away from me Alicia, it hurts so much when she does that I have to let her go. I could never force her to do something against her will."

"Nanoha do you honestly think my sister would ever deny you anything? The fact that she's pulling away has more to do with her feelings of worthlessness than her not wanting you to touch her. Hold her until she gives in to the touch and believe me she'll be latched onto you again like the frickin burr she is in no time."

Sapphire eyes took on their contemplative look again as Nanoha worked through the suggestion. The thought of a weekend getaway did strike her as a good idea. The more she thought about it the more she liked the idea, maybe a hot spring retreat where they had access to a private bath. She'd need to find one where their privacy could be assured, if Fate got as loud as she suspected she might it could disturb the neighbors. Then she remembered the resort her family had frequented when she was a child. The kids had been given their own room and their parents had a separate suite, the amount of noise Miyuki had sometimes caused them to make at night should have woken the dead. The more she thought about that fact the more embarrassing the memory was, her parents were damn rabbits.

Nanoha looked at her sister-in-law and could see she was waiting for her to concede to her genius and beg for assistance, "Well it was good talking to you Cia-chan but I need to get back to work. Fate-chan will probably be waiting for me by now. Ta-ta Onee."

The gaping look of disbelief made Nanoha laugh, "Seriously Cia-chan I've got this. Thanks for the advice."

~"~"~"~

Nanoha tried her best to be patient with Fate's insecurities and relieve them as much as possible during the next two days but Fate still shied away from her and seemed determined to be miserable. Nanoha wondered if this was how she appeared to Fate right before their wedding. Looking at her fitfully sleeping wife she carefully brushed her bangs off her forehead and kissed it lightly before whispering, "I love you Fate-chan."

The soft sigh and tears that seemed to appear instantly at the words made Nanoha want to hug the stuffing out of the blonde but if she made such a move Fate would stiffen and pull away. Nanoha hated that response, to feel her wife pull away was heartbreaking. Slipping out of bed she went to the closet and pulled out her clothes for the day before heading to the shower. As the steaming hot water rolled down her body she couldn't help wishing Fate would join her like during their honeymoon. Nanoha immediately cut off those thoughts just as they started, getting hot and bothered right now would not be productive.

Breakfast, the drive to work and even the time spent in their little hidey hole of an office was all rather depressing. Fate's dark mood seemed to drain out the happiness Nanoha normally felt during these brief times when she had the blonde all to herself. Vivio had taken to sleeping in and avoiding the dark rain cloud that was her step-mom and giving her mom looks of increasing desperation to do something to restore Fate to her previous quiet contented personality. Nanoha thought it rather ironic, she had seen Vivio give Fate similar looks just weeks ago when she had been an emotional mess.

Looking over her wife as she moved through the motions of clearing her desk and shutting down her computer she could see how on the edge she really was. Surely by now Fate should know she could trust her with anything, but she seemed determined to milk every ounce of self-loathing she could. Coming around to her desk she picked up the car keys and ignored Fate's frown.

Walking to the door with her purse under arm Nanoha only paused long enough to say, "Come on Fate, we'll be late for dinner with my parents."

Knowing the lie and lack of honorific would distract Fate and prevent any further argument Nanoha walked to the parking lot and took the wheel of the insane speed machine Fate thought was a car. Having driven the vehicle only a handful of times Nanoha looked at the stick shift and clutch warily making Fate almost twitch a smile. As depressed as she was she still couldn't ignore how utterly cute her wife could be. Fate knew she was being an idiot, knew she needed to talk to Nanoha but was terrified of how Nanoha would respond. She had essentially lied to her wife, made her go through a medical procedure that was likely worthless and risked her health. She knew what Nanoha wanted and god knew she wanted to give it to her but mother had left her too broken.

The drive was a quiet one as Fate stared out the window, or at least that's what she tried to do. She was emotionally, mentally and physically exhausted all because of her inability to rest; her entire being was focused on the fact that in a few short days Nanoha would learn of her treachery. Every few seconds Fate felt her eyes being drawn to the auburn haired woman beside her, trying to burn her image into her mind. She so wanted to take Nanoha into her arms and take the comfort she knew that she'd find there. Sink into her warmth and let go of all her negative thoughts and emotions, but she didn't deserve it. She should be place in the stocks then beaten for her selfishness and deception.

Fate had given up trying to focus on the passing buildings and vehicles and leaned her head against the headrest and let her eyes close. Yet even then she couldn't help sneaking looks at her wife, watching her as she bit her lip in concentration trying to maneuver the vehicle through Friday afternoon traffic. Through long blonde lashes she watched her mesmerized by the beauty before her. Nanoha wasn't perfect, she knew that very well but there was an inner light to the woman that made her appear to be a living flame and Fate knew herself to be a doomed moth. She so wanted to make love to Nanoha, wanted to touch her soft skin, inhale her sweet scent, taste her but she didn't deserve that honor.

Nanoha in turn could feel Fate's stare, it made it harder to concentrate and gave her added incentive to get to their destination all the faster. She arranged for dinner to be served in their room, after which she would confront Fate about her issues. Hopeful with a little patient and a lot of TLC she would soon have Fate unburdened then she was going to strip Fate and if necessary drag her into the hot mineral spring water to soak. There she would do all she could to make Fate relax, or maybe drive her absolutely mad with desire. Nanoha knew she was horny as hell but depending on how Fate responded to the first part of her plan that would determine if she was going to be spending one more night without or if they were going to get zero sleep tonight.

Fate soon realized the ride was taking a lot longer than it should have as the drive to Midori-ya Café was barely ten minutes on a bad traffic day and they had been driving nearly double that already. Opening her eyes fully she looked out the window and noticed they were on a freeway outside the city.

Frowning in confusion she turned to her wife and asked, "Nanoha where are we going?"

Nanoha wanted to laugh, Fate was so caught up in spying on her that she hadn't even realized they weren't in the city anymore till now. Quickly glancing at her blonde counterpart and seeing the cute confused look on her face made it difficult not to just pull off and kiss her senseless.

Deciding to wrong foot her wife a little more so she didn't have time to complain Nanoha said, "Well since this week officially makes it one year since we met everyone thought it'd be nice to go someplace special to celebrate, there is a little place out here that my family has been going to for years on special occasions."

Fate felt like dying there and then, she had forgotten their freaking anniversary! She was the worse wife in the world, how could she have forgotten the day this wonderful woman came into her life. Fate's almost inaudible, "Oh," was all the response she gave as she now slumped in her seat.

As Fate wrestled with her guilt Nanoha felt a bit bad over causing her more distress but at the very least she knew she could now lead Fate anywhere she wanted and the blonde wouldn't even put up a token struggle. Pulling into the parking lot for the hot spring resort ten minutes later she knew the next few minutes would determine how the rest of the weekend and perhaps their marriage would proceed. Fate needed to let go of her deeply engrained feelings of being damaged and unworthy of love. While Fate normally had no issues with accepting love on her terms she had to learn Nanoha wasn't going to stop loving her or turn her back on her, ever.

Turning to Fate, Nanoha took her hand and squeezed the soft warm flesh, how she wished Fate would just reach for her. Wasn't that what they promised each other? If there was a problem or if they needed support they would reach for the other but somehow Fate had decided she deserve this self-torment because she was _broken._

Fate's face was still turned down but her deep red eyes sent guilty glances her way as if she was a scolded puppy waiting for her mistress' next command. That mental image made it hard for Nanoha not to give in to her seriously over-stimulated imagination. Swallowing her lustful desires Nanoha reached to tip Fate's face up and brushed a thumb over the soft skin of her cheek. The longing in Fate's eyes was heartbreaking, the woman wanted the same thing Nanoha did but was so scared of being rejected once her "secret" was discovered.

"Fate-chan, we're going in now, I don't want to hear a word of complaint from you, do you understand me?" Nanoha tried to be assertive but the kicked puppy look was killing her.

Fate's little head nod and the way she scrambled out of the car as quickly as possible meant that Nanoha's self control on her libido was going to be sorely tested. Grabbing the overnight bag she had hidden in the vehicle the night before she then climbed out and did her best to ignore the questioning look Fate was giving her when she saw the luggage. The pair entered the lobby of the sprawling resort and Nanoha immediately headed towards the checking in desk while Fate hovered and seemed to be arguing with herself regarding trying to reach for the bag and carry it for Nanoha. Receiving the key Nanoha immediately headed to their private room, learning only certain rooms were soundproofed only increased Nanoha's belated embarrassment over her parent's shenanigans.

When they came to the door Fate fully expected for her in-laws to waiting behind the door and to be treated to a tongue-lashing for her failure to have any kind of gift for her wife on their anniversary. Instead a large kotatsu covered with dishes of some of her favorite foods greeted her along with an obviously oversized bed in another room separated by a set of sliding doors. Fate turned to her wife and was immediately caught in a kiss that she didn't dare try to shrug off. She let Nanoha do as she pleased; gentle teeth nipped at her lower lip before a plunging tongue entered Fate's welcoming mouth. The warmth she felt as Nanoha wrapped her arms around her neck and tangled her hands in her hair made her groan.

Pulling back slightly Nanoha then pressed soft kisses all over Fate's face and then began kissing down her neck leaving the blonde a shuddering mess. Fate knew she shouldn't be enjoying this, she didn't deserve Nanoha's love but god help her she was desperate for Nanoha's touch. Fate could feel Nanoha's warm stare and opened her eyes to see the sad smile her wife was now wearing.

Nanoha pleaded with her wife, "Love, I want to spend the weekend with you. I want us to forget about what's going on in that lab. Monday will come soon enough and we'll get through each step of the implantation together. But for now I just want us to enjoy each other's company. I want to make love to you and see you smile; I haven't seen you really smile in a while."

Fate felt awful, how could Nanoha really believe it was going to happen? That they could have children, she was ruined, she wasn't a woman but a broken monster, a freak, she didn't deserve children and mother had ensured she wouldn't propagate. The hot tears that now flowed down Fate's face made it clear Nanoha had to work quickly to shore up Fate's now quickly crumbling self-esteem.

Leading her over to a cushion on the floor she pulled Fate down with her and nestled the taller woman into her lap. Fate was too distraught to fight Nanoha until she felt Nanoha loosen her clothing. Stiffening Fate tried to pull away and shook her head while crying, "No," between her now choking sobs.

Nanoha knew if she let Fate get away this whole situation would spiral out of control. Grabbing the blonde she pushed her down and straddled her hips. Capturing Fate's now flailing arms and pinning them to the ground the whole thing was beginning to feel a little too rapey for Nanoha's taste no matter what Alicia claimed.

"Fate-chan! Stop, just stop. I won't hurt you, I won't force you to do anything against your will but love please we need to talk. I won't have you running away from me. I can't stand it when you shrug me off. If you love me please just talk to me," Nanoha now had tears running down her face and her voice broke as she was now begging.

Fate looked at her crying wife and didn't know what to do, the angry voice in her head told her she was proving how worthless she was by hurting Nanoha while another part of her just wanted to grab hold of the auburn haired woman and just be with Nanoha.

Finally the internal war ended and Fate murmured, "I love you but I don't deserve you. I deceived you Nanoha; I am too broken to give you children. I know this but I still insisted on that stupid procedure, I risked your health and set you up for disappointment. I…I was ruined years ago and…"

Nanoha kissing her quiet wasn't quite what she expected, neither was her wife cuddling into her and calling her an idiot. But that was exactly what Nanoha did along with her sliding her hands up under clothing to grip her tightly like a limpet. The feeling of warm soft hands on her scarred flesh was almost too much to handle, Nanoha shouldn't be clinging to one such as her.

Now settled in for a difficult conversation Nanoha began, "Fate-chan, why do you think you can't have babies?"

Stiffening at the direct question Fate mumbled, "My mother."

"Fate, Carim read your medical records, she has given us updates each step of the way, not once has she shown any doubt that you are completely fertile so why do you?"

Fate turned her head away from Nanoha but didn't try to escape, Nanoha would leave on her own soon enough, sighing she said, "Because she told me. She told me I'd never have children, she sterilized me. The doctors who tested me tell me I'm healthy inside but she put something inside me and promised me I'd have no future."

Shifting to hold Fate tighter Nanoha sighed, "Why do you believe her? According to your records and a number of reputable doctors you have been shown to be perfectly normally but you seemed determined to believe a woman who did nothing but lie and harm you."

Fate curled into herself and shook her head, "I am a freak Nanoha, she pumped me full of chemicals and messed me up. Even if Carim is capable of finding a way to combining our genetic material there is no hope the child will be normal. They'll be a monster just like me…"

Nanoha sat up and glared down at her wife, "Shush, I don't want to hear another word. You are not a monster or a freak," cupping Fate's chin in a hard grasp Nanoha forced her to look her in the eyes, "You are mine. Our children will be normal, just like you. If I hear you call our children monsters again I swear I'll spank you. Right now you are behaving like a spoiled child and if I have to treat you as such to get you to understand I will do so."

Shocked Fate sank into the pillow and tried to respond but couldn't string a coherent sentence together. Nanoha pulled her sweater off and Fate felt her confusion grow, now was definitely not the time for sex but her body flooded with desire the second she saw Nanoha's nearly naked torso. Nanoha relaxed a bit at the sight of Fate's arousal and brushed her hand up Fate's face to wipe away her tears gently.

"Fate-chan, I told you when we got together I'd rather have you than a dozen babies and I meant it. If the process fails so be it. Would I like to have your babies, yes but the most important thing for me is having you beside me. I need you to be happy. Love, there is just as much chance that I'm sterile after my life with Yuuno. He destroyed his own fertility with the chemicals he was always messing around with and never cared much about cleaning up before coming home. I know I saw him eating right next to dangerous substances more than once and he practically rolled in some of the stuff, professional clean techniques were time wasters in his book. If I was sterile would you leave me?"

The force of Fate tackling Nanoha knocked them right over and might have lead to Nanoha being concussed if Fate hadn't wrapped an arm around her to cradle her head. The hard kiss and blazing hot hand that burned a trail up and down Nanoha's body made it clear Fate wasn't keen on the idea of giving up Nanoha anytime soon. It took less than a microsecond to realize exactly what was going on and for Nanoha to reciprocate fully.

When they broke apart when air became necessary Nanoha cupped Fate's face in her hands and declared, "I love you. No matter what your mother did to you, that's never going to change. You are my future, my life."

Fate dipped down and kissed her wife showering her with all the love she'd been desperate to share in the past few weeks. Fate couldn't even remember why she had thought engaging in such contradictory behavior was a good idea. She needed Nanoha, to willfully pull away seemed about as smart as cutting her hand off and twice as painful. Soon clothing went flying and the hunger of their kisses steadily increased. The almost desperate nature of their coupling this time was driven by Fate's need to make up for having pulled away from Nanoha so many times.

Each time Nanoha thought she would be able to take the lead Fate proved her insatiability and turned each of her strokes against her. If she tried to tease Fate's breasts then Fate would do the same with an intensity that actually had Nanoha orgasming from the amount of teasing she received. When Nanoha reached for Fate to touch the warmth she had missed so much Fate did something she never had before. Taking her hand in her own she directed it to spread her open then had her do the same to herself before pressing their heats together. Then as Nanoha groaned at the delicious feeling she was further turned on by Fate licking her fingers clean of their combined lust.

As Fate rocked them together holding Nanoha tightly by the hips and working their bodies towards yet another release Nanoha tried to keep her eyes on the now flushed face of her lover. Dark eyes focused on where they connected as beads of sweat slowly trickled down her brow, neck and the long length of her body. Nanoha knew how sensitive Fate was and how much she must be restraining herself from coming as she tried to prolong the pleasure she gave to her. The sight of pearly white teeth digging into her lower lip and the look of concentration made it clear her wife was hanging on by the barest thread. Tightening her hold of Fate and pulling her closer so their breasts met she whispered in Fate's ear, "Come for me love," then thrust her hips roughly into her as she bit down on Fate's shoulder.

The resulting rush of hot juices flooding over her core and the spastic twitching of Fate's sex was enough to push Nanoha over the edge herself. Holding tight, nails digging into the tender flesh of her ruby eyed lover Nanoha rode out her orgasm. Now too exhausted to even try to take control Nanoha whispered to the still hyper-alert Fate, "Rest now love," then snuggled Fate tightly against her breast before allowing herself to relax into an exhausted doze.

When Nanoha woke next it was while being carried to bed and settled on the cool sheets. Wrapping her arms around Fate she muzzlily said, "Mine."

The soft laugh and kiss on her cheek made her smile but she didn't release her grasp. When the warm soft body of her lover slid into the bed next to her Nanoha snuggled in and relaxed back into sleep.

It was a couple of hours later that Nanoha found herself waking to the sight of deep burgundy eyes studying her intently. Nanoha's face heated and she reached to block out Fate's view with her hand huffing, "Fate-chan really? There has to be better things for you to look at than me sleeping."

Fate caught her hand so she could kiss her palm, "I wasn't so much watching you sleep love, it was more me trying to memorize you. I've been a pretty bad wife recently, I stupidly forced myself not to pay attention to you in an effort to distance myself from you just so I could wallow in my own self pity. I told you to trust me with your problems and insecurities and what did I do? I made a complete idiot of myself. All I want to do is make you happy and make your dreams come true but instead I acted like a complete brat."

Lacing their fingers together Nanoha then pulled Fate's hand to her mouth and kissed it, "We are both very stubborn people love. The past few days I was thinking about this problem of ours. In reality love I think it will take a little time before we automatically turn to one another regarding our problems. I know I can trust you but that doesn't mean I am not going to drive myself a little crazy before I finally open up about something.

"I could tell from day one after the extraction that there was something bothering you but I didn't want to force you to open up to me. That was my mistake, both of our mistake, when I was going around the bend before our wedding you gave me too much time to stew over the situation, I made a mountain out of molehill in the end. So I want us to agree here and now if we see each other worrying over something we aren't going to wait until the other breaks down. I really don't want either of us having to deal with hysterics. And I definitely don't ever want to have to sit on you again like I did earlier, gawd I felt like a damn rapist."

Fate pulled her in close and buried her face in Nanoha's hair to breathe her in, slightly muffled she said, "I wasn't scared of you hurting me or forcing me to do something against my will. I tried to pull away because I knew I'd crack if you touched me. I can't resist you. I was so full of doubt and self-hatred that I couldn't stand the idea of you…you soiling yourself by touching me," Fate winced at the growl coming Nanoha and her tightening grip.

Shifting to settle Nanoha more comfortably Fate sighed, "I already admitted to being a complete idiot Nanoha, squeezing the life out of me isn't necessary."

Nanoha loosened her hold slightly but the feeling of tears now falling on Fate's skin made it clear she was still upset, huffing her agitation Nanoha said, "Fate-chan I can't stand it when you talk that way. I love you so much and to hear you disparage yourself hurts. Knowing you're wrestling with that kind of thing when it's so patently false makes me wish I could punish your mother. You are the most amazing person I have ever met; even if you were sterile I'd still prefer to be with you than any other person on earth."

Shifting briefly to look Fate in the eyes Nanoha pointed out, "Love, I allowed myself to stay in a loveless childless marriage for almost a decade out of pure stupidity. Now I am hopelessly head-over-heels in love with you and even with all your moodiness the past few weeks I have been happier with you than I ever was with Yuuno. Did you honestly think I'd leave you if we couldn't have children together?"

The pain in Nanoha's question made her hide in Fate's neck; she didn't want Fate to ever think her so shallow.

Kissing Nanoha's temple Fate admitted, "I can only claim temporary insanity regarding the matter; I got violently sick that first night and everything went downhill for me emotionally."

Nanoha bolted up and looked Fate over checking for god only knew what considering how intimate they had just been, the amount of concern now clearly visible in Nanoha's eyes was too much for Fate to resist. Pulling her back down to kiss her only for Nanoha to pull away and glare at her for moment then tear up with guilt.

"I am the worst wife in the world…"Nanoha tried to declare when she was cut off by another kiss.

Pulling back and pressing their foreheads together Fate couldn't help smiling a bit at the pout on her wife's face, another quick kiss later Fate spoke, "I think we both can stop wallowing in self-pity and recrimination now. Nanoha, while I've had years to try and get over what my mother did to me there are still raw places, a lot of the psychological wounds she left on me I couldn't even face. I pretended they didn't matter because I'd never meet anyone who could see past my scars or who could make me want _that_ kind of relationship."

"The same protective thinking that didn't allow me to think about a dream wedding or lover and left me floundering once you came into my life also made it so I couldn't even think about children. Once faced with the reality of it all her words and the torture came back to me. I know I am healthy but she instilled this doubt in me, that even if I somehow survived what she did to me there would be nothing for me to look forward to in life. Mine would be a life unworthy of life, something better ended so as not to drag others down. You can't begin to appreciate how special you are Nanoha, I lived a cloistered life and it was only you coming into it that made me want to step out of that."

Kissing Fate softly then looking her in the eyes and taking Fate's hand she pressed it to her stomach, "Do you still want to go through with this love? I couldn't stand it if this drove you away from me. Waking up next to you for the rest of my life is enough of a blessing for me, anything more is just gravy. I won't resent you or leave you if you say no. As long as you're mine I'll have all I could ever need to be happy."

Fate's hand rubbed the soft smooth skin as she thought long and seriously about what Nanoha asked. Since becoming a couple all she had thought about was making Nanoha's wishes come true, to earn the love that Nanoha seemed to radiate, that it was given freely to one such as her seemed wrong. The feeling of her gentle hands, the soft loving looks, the tender kisses and security in her hold wasn't something she had ever imagined coming her way. When Nanoha spoke of children she spoke of little Fate-chans to spoil but honestly that wasn't what she wanted. She wanted a child that was more like Nanoha, a little Nanoha for her to hold and cherish.

Swallowing her trepidation Fate tried to put her own wants into words, "I…I want a little Nanoha. I want us to have a baby who takes after you, with your eyes. Maybe someday we can have a child that looks like me but I'd rather not… there are enough people in the world who look like me as it is."

Nanoha rolled her eyes and sighed, "Fate-chan, when I said I wanted little Fate-chans I meant I want children who take after you personality, wise and spiritually. Shy and gentle, passionate about what they love, intelligent and caring. I'd love it if they had at least _your_ gorgeous eyes also but any feature of yours would be wonderful. It really doesn't matter what she looks like as long as she's like you at heart."

Fate laughed a little and rubbed their cheeks together before replying, "That's what I meant by a little Nanoha, I want a daughter just like you," a rather wicked smile grew on Fate's face as she went on, "stubborn and ummpf!"

At first Nanoha had liked what Fate was saying then she heard the word 'stubborn' and her rather violent nature took over. Pushing Fate over and moving to hold her down she no longer worried about the aggressiveness of her actions. Fate was being a horrible tease and she wasn't going to get away with it. The next few minutes were spent tickling the recalcitrant blonde and also pressing kisses on her face and neck. Fate's flushed face and happy but increasingly heated glance made it clear the teasing torment was doing its job. Letting Fate free could only in result in her retaliating but Nanoha didn't care, she wanted to see her smile and hear her laugh.

After the pair exhausted themselves they cuddled into each other content. The feeling of Fate's hands running through her hair and the steady beat of her heart meant Nanoha was in heaven at that moment. When a few minutes later Fate's stomach rumbled Nanoha giggled making the blonde pout and nibble on her ear as she teased, "I don't know why you are giggling, you look pretty tasty love and I don't even have to get out of bed."

Sitting up Nanoha smiled at the once more relaxed and happy Fate she now had, this is what she wanted for the rest of her life. Pecking her wife on the lips she then slipped out of bed and put on a robe before going to the main room, "You are so silly Fate-chan. Now I am going to order us something to eat, you're not to move, understand me?"

"Aw but Nanoha…" Fate tried to pout only to be cut off by another kiss. But this one was much more heated and left her panting for breath.

Smirking at the sight of her Fate now looking at her with eyes dilated with lust and lips slightly swollen from the bruising kiss, Nanoha reiterated, "Be a good girl Fate-chan and stay still. If you behave I'll be sure to award you when I get back."

The small nod Fate gave her wasn't all that reassuring but Nanoha took what she could get. Leaving the room she searched the living room for the phone. Seeing last night's meal that had gone to waste she felt a bit bad. Last night hadn't gone according to plan but then again Fate had been involved so… Picking up the phone she called the main desk and was thankful the resort had twenty-four hour room service. After ordering she hung up only for Fate to wrap her arms around her and kiss her neck. Turning in her lover's arms Nanoha then slipped her arms around Fate's neck to pull her down for a kiss and nuzzle. So much for her staying put but there was no way Nanoha was going to complain about Fate touching her.

Fate gave her a hug and whispered, "I'm sorry I forgot our anniversary."

Nanoha laughed, "You have already given me so much this past year Fate-chan. And on Monday you will give me something more precious than any material gift. You're going to let me have your child. When I think back a year ago I couldn't have even begun to imagine this is where we would have ended up. I was pretty sure you were going to get sick of me and tell Yanagi-san to find you a new partner before the first month was up."

Fate's smile grew as she leaned in to tease her wife, "Oh yes I was all set to do just that, who in the world would want to work with someone so talented, professional, and personable, not to mention beautiful and witty. Working with you is such a hardship I don't know how I manage it sometimes."

The soft kisses they exchanged after that would have easily lead back to the bedroom if there hadn't been a knock on the door. The soft growl coming from Fate as Nanoha pulled away made her laugh as she pushed her wife back to the bedroom to hide, a naked Fate-chan was for her eyes only. Tightening her robe Nanoha opened the door and let the waiter in. He quickly removed the plates from the table and his knowing look was slightly annoying. After he placed the fresh dishes on the table Nanoha was getting ready to tip the cheeky little man when Fate came out of the bedroom. That she was wearing Nanoha's sleeveless nightdress that revealed a number of her scars seemed to shock both Nanoha and the waiter for different reasons.

Moving between Nanoha and the waiter Fate looked him over imperiously, his lecherous smirk towards Nanoha had not been appreciated. Taking the receipt for the meal she looked it over and then seemed to magically produce a few bills and handed them to the man. The look of dismissal in her eyes was very easy to read and he fled with a small bow. Once the door was closed Fate turned to her wife and raised a questioning eyebrow at her still stunned look.

"Fate-chan, what in the…why…what…" Nanoha stuttered as she looked over her apparel, the damn thing didn't even come to her knees. On display was more skin than Nanoha had ever seen Fate display publicly.

Brushing back Nanoha's rather messy hair Fate smiled, "I told you once I have no issues with people seeing my scars I just don't like having to explain myself. Over the years, thanks to Alicia's prompting, I've learned to use my rather unusually appearance to intimidate others. I don't do it very often as it really is a stupid thing to do but this time I really didn't like the way that man was looking at you."

Nanoha looked at her incredulously, the woman before her had assiduously hidden herself for years from those around her and yet hadn't batted an eye over exposing herself to intimidate a waiter who was giving her the eye. Fate's questioning look was like that of a child who really didn't understand why people were making a big deal over something silly or mundane (to them). The more Nanoha thought about the situation the more it seemed so very Fate-chan.

Letting go of the ridiculousness of the situation she pulled her wife over to the table and they soon were snuggled together under the warm kotatsu. It really wasn't the most effective position to eat in but she couldn't think of a better place to be than being sandwiched between the table and Fate. After the meal Nanoha leaned into Fate and just basked in the feeling of being held. Three weeks with decreasingly little attention had her starving for this. Seeming to understand and feeling the same Fate held her with a tenderness that made Nanoha wish they never had to move again.

The feeling of Fate's hand sliding into her robe and tickling her lightly on her stomach made Nanoha squirm, twisting she then pushed Fate onto her back and gave her a mock glare, "Fate-chan I want to cuddle not be tickled."

Fate's smile made it clear she was happy with being held down by Nanoha and the way their bodies were now being pressed together, "We are cuddling. I find this position very comfy for cuddling, don't you?"

The fact that Nanoha's robe had come open and she was now fully displaying herself to Fate's appreciative gaze made Nanoha flush and shiver as she felt the heat of that gaze and her body respond. Pulling away Nanoha stood up and almost laughed at the pout on Fate's face at having been left on the ground wanting.

Reaching down Nanoha helped her up as she tried to appease her sulking wife, "Come on Fate-chan let's enjoy the bath, if you are a good girl I'll even let you scrub my back."

Fate was instantly on her feet and actually picked Nanoha up and carried her to the bath enjoying the squealing laughter and pleas to be put down.

~"~"~"~

Sorry to end this chapter so abruptly but I wanted a relative high note as my plan is to have the next chapter showcase our other characters' anxiety/opinions of what is going on between NanoFate. I hope everyone likes the idea of taking a moment to see what Hayate/Rein, Alicia/Carim, and Einhart/Vivio are doing all while this weekend is taking place. I promise by the end of next chapter someone will be pregnant. Please review and let me know how I am doing and if there is anything you want more of.


	17. Chapter 17: Life As We Know It Pt1

A/N: Okay so I was writing and it just kept going and going so I had to split this section into two parts. I am uploading the first part tonight and will upload the second part tomorrow morning. I want to thank Kuraa once again for reading my madness and correcting the obvious typos, any remaining mistakes are all my own.

Disclaimer: I do not own MGLN or any of its characters; no profit is made from this story.

~"~"~"~

Chapter 17: Life As We Know It, Part 1

As Fate and Nanoha took time to enjoy their weekend together and heal some of the hurt the past weeks had heaped on them both their family and friends were all reflecting on the current situation. Those closest to them all had different reactions to how Fate was behaving. Those who knew Fate best, trusted Nanoha had the ability to help Fate overcome this internal struggle. Those still coming to know her were less sure and the tension was bring forth older hurts in need of attention. Relationships that had been built on Nanoha and Fate's relationship were finding themselves at a crossroad in their relationships; it was time to see what direction they were all going.

~"~"~"~

Hayate and Rein were walking downtown doing a little window shopping. Rein seemed fixated on baby clothing and toys which made Hayate's feelings of doom strengthen. When she sighed for the fourth time in an hour Rein pulled her into a café and sat them down in a back booth.

After quickly ordering two hot drinks and receiving them Rein leaned in to ask, "What's bothering my darling little one?"

Twitching a smile as she played with her spoon Hayate looked up into concern filled ruby eyes that reminded her of why she was so filled with foreboding. Stretching her neck Hayate asked as nonchalantly as she could, "Do you think Fate-chan will feel better soon?"

Rein wanted to squeeze Hayate for being so cute, she really was a little teddy bear like creature that just screamed for snuggling. Covering one of her tiny hands with her own Rein tried to reassure her sweet little girlfriend, "Fate-san will be fine. She just needs alone time with Nanoha. I am sure Fate will enjoy her wife breaking her out of the funk she's fallen into more than she ever did her sister."

Frowning Hayate asked, "What are you talking about?"

Rein leaned back and smiled at the memory and decided to tease her girlfriend by saying, "Fufufu, there is a reason why people told stories about them being lovers, they're not, but walking in on them could lead to some misconceptions. If Alicia told Nanoha to do what she does then it won't take long for things to get frisky."

Hayate's eyes nearly bulged out of her head as she exclaimed, "How the heck…when...Wa…what?"

Shrugging Rein said, "Like I said I walked in on them. It was after that Alicia started following me around. I think the fact that I wasn't grossed out and didn't make a big deal about it that intrigued her. Fate of course was embarrassed and thanked me for not causing Alicia problems by spreading rumors. I swear that conversation must have cost her a year of life she was so tense. That was why I was so surprised by her hugging me and actually speaking more than a simple 'Hi,' at the auction. My god Nanoha does good work."

The hollow laugh Hayate gave at that gave Rein a clue what was bothering her so she just came out with it, "You know any other girlfriend would get jealous over your obsession with another woman."

Blushing as she looked at the table and feeling like an idiot Hayate said, "No, it's not like that! We're just friends and I am worried."

Rein wondered if Hayate was playing the pronoun game on purpose, well two could play the game, "I don't know what you're worried about. By the end of the weekend those two will be as closer than ever."

Hayate was now playing with her half empty espresso cup and made a face for a flash of a second before forcing a laugh and saying, "Oh yeah it'll be love-love all the time again. But I just don't get it, if she really loves…ah never mind."

The young woman ran a hand through her short bob then gulped down the last of her bitter drink. Rein decided to push her, _who knows I might be able to get her to admit some more of those scary feelings of hers._

Looking out the window Rein said reflectively, "You know sometimes I wonder why she puts up with it? She could do without all the drama after everything she's been through. It's not like she doesn't have other options even with her so called handicap."

Hayate frowned at this and spoke without thinking, "What the heck are you saying Rein? Fate should be freaking falling over herself to make Nanoha happy; this is a bunch of bullshit right now. If she had doubts about their relationship she should have spoken them before marrying Nanoha and getting her hopes up about a family."

Refraining from smirking Rein gave her girlfriend a confused look and said, "I was talking about Nanoha, not Fate. Nanoha really could do better. Fate's way too much of a hassle to deal with. I like the woman but…"

Hayate was now conflicted she didn't know what to say, "Bu…but Nanoha loves Fate."

Rein just hummed, "Love isn't always enough."

Frowning Hayate stared at her girlfriend and said, "I thought you were Fate's friend."

Ruby eyes very reminiscent of Fate's own looked Hayate dead-on, "I am which is why I am questioning the relationship. Fate is high maintenance and Nanoha doesn't seem like she could handle the relationship in the long run. Fate needs someone who isn't so…well not to be rude but flaky. Nanoha has already proven to crack under pressure and even if she succeeds to get Fate out of her funk this time what's to say she'll be able to do it next time. What if they argue and they both fall into a funk, Fate won't be able to baby Nanoha until she comes around. Fate needs a…well a more mature woman."

Rein was enjoying the various colors her girlfriend was turning. She had a similar conversation with Nanoha a week ago where she herself brought up these actual arguments against herself. It was during that conversation that she pointed out Fate hadn't wanted a more mature woman or one less "flaky," she wanted Nanoha because she was what made her happy. Besides whenever Fate needed support Nanoha had always been there to provide it, Rein couldn't think of one instance where Nanoha hadn't been there for the blonde. Nor could she imagine a situation where Nanoha wouldn't be there for her in the future.

Choking Hayate asked, "I suppose you know the perfect woman for her? Someone who would make a better match to the incredible Fate-sensei!"

Shrugging Rein said, "Maybe."

Pounding the table Hayate declared, "No one but Nanoha could possibly match Fate! And there is no one who could match Nanoha but Fate! They're soul mates!"

Laughing at the shorter woman's shenanigans Rein admitted, "I was just yanking your chain Hayate. You seemed so depressed over the pair and questioning their relationship so I thought it'd be fun to make you have to defend it."

Reaching over she poked Hayate's puffed up cheek and tried to placate the little beast, "Look I know you have a thing for Nanoha still but really there's no need to worry about their relationship. Fate's not going to hurt Nanoha; she'd cut off her right hand and blind herself before she allowed any harm come to her."

The red flush in Hayate's cheeks fled and she now sat there grey faced and frozen; her stammering was now worse so Rein had mercy on her.

Pressing a long delicate finger to her lips to shush her Rein then told her, "I've had plenty of long talks with Nanoha. I consider her a real good friend. And she really does care for you Hayate; she was getting worried over our relationship."

Trembling Hayate asked in a timid voice, "How so?"

Seeing Hayate was freaking out Rein tried to ease into the knowledge she was sure Hayate did want her to know, "Oh she was concerned about the physical nature of our relationship. Since you have the tendency to be handsy with people she wanted to reassure me that you weren't a playgirl like Alicia. She wanted me to understand you are a pure maiden at heart, that I needed to be gentle with you if I was ever going to get past the front you put up to protect yourself. She mentioned that you could be aggressive when feeling insecure so to not let it scare me off."

Hayate wanted to dig a hole and crawl into it; Nanoha had told her girlfriend what had happened between them. Rein hadn't come out and said the words but the things she said made it obvious. Ducking her head she said in a quiet voice, "Do you hate me?"

Getting up and sliding in next to Hayate so she could wrap an arm around her she said, "Darling I've known about this since before the wedding. We were joking around about how crazy you were getting, what Fate called Bridezilla and before I knew it I was learning all about how you stole Nanoha's first kiss. Fate was rather displeased with the story."

Hayate groaned, "How is it I'm not dead already?"

Kissing her temple Rein said, "Because Nanoha loves you and would be most displeased if Fate gutted you before hanging you from the nearest telephone pole."

Pulling away Hayate laid her head on the table and pleaded with her girlfriend, "How can you make jokes about this? If they ever break up Fate will turn her demonic ire on me and tear me into shreds. You red eyed women are terrifying; I'll be chopped up into tiny pieces and fed to some horribly inappropriate villain mascot like a koala bear or chipmunks, there is no honor in being eaten by chipmunks."

"Hmm and when were you planning on telling me that you and Nanoha had such a sordid past?"

Hayate was suddenly worried about more than just her life, her whole future was at stake, don't screw this up! Turning her head she gave her girlfriend a weak smile and said, "I…it…uh well…it was like…oh damn it I am so screwed no matter what I say!" then slammed her head back onto the table.

Pulling her girlfriend away from the table and possible brain injury (like she needed more) and said with a laugh, "Darling this isn't some horrible dreadful secret. My goodness you two were children, what were you, twelve at the time? She said you were in middle school and made a big production over declaring your love for her then glommed onto her. Very slick moves, I believe she said you also knocked heads at least once before you actually got around to kissing her. Stunning your prey is a good idea but not if you are trying to impress a girl. I am glad your skills have gotten better since then."

Groaning Hayate burrowed into her girlfriend's shoulder and cried, "Is nothing sacred anymore?! A girl's first kiss shouldn't be a topic bandied about like the weather!"

"Yes, well as much fun as this has all been how about you tell me about what's really bothering you."

Looking up from her sanctuary so only her large eyes could be seen making Rein's heart skip at the cuteness Hayate finally admitted, "If they're so in love why do they have to keep having all these miscommunications? Why can't they just stay happy and love dovey all the time?"

Petting Hayate baby fine hair Rein couldn't help feeling protective of the woman in her arms, "Darling, people will always have miscommunications and problems will arise for even the most loving couples. The thing to focus on is the couples work through them and get stronger."

Burrowing into Rein and finding a comfy spot before replying, "You know I guess it was silly of me to hope they wouldn't have the same problems other couples do. I could see how much they love one another straight off. Fate-chan's always been so shy and reserved but thanks to Nanoha standing by her side she stood right up and faced down not only me but Arisa and Suzuka all at once and offered us all a clean slate and her friendship. You could have knocked me over with a feather I was so shocked."

"Nanoha's always been protective of the people she cares about but with Fate it was different. She watches her, she doesn't crowd Fate like some people but she knows exactly where she is and what's going on around her at all times. If Fate shows the slightest sign of fatigue or stress Nanoha is right there by her side and is helping her. You'd think that meant Nanoha was being pushy but in reality it means she let Fate push herself to her limits. Fate doesn't show obvious signs of distress; you have to be a careful watcher to pick them up. By the time she does let a small sign show she's already getting close to her limits. The phase Catastrophic Failure could have been coined with Fate in mind. Thank god for Alicia and Nanoha, those two always bail her out before it comes to that."

Rein squeezed the little beast before pointing out, "You also seem to have picked up on it, should I be worried?"

Squeaking in surprise and denial which made the silver haired demoness laugh and squeeze her tighter, "I'm just joking darling one. I know you are a good friend. And that's the real reason neither Fate nor I have any immediate plans on skinning you alive before roasting you. Though in case of a contingency Fate suggested barbeque but I prefer the classics."

Hayate had been trying to think of the right moment to ask a very important question for a while but never seemed to find the right time or place. But thinking about it she realized it wasn't the place or even the circumstances that really mattered, it was the person. She had Rein alone, in a relatively good mood and thinking about their relationship in a positive manner. Pulling back she turned to begin hunting through her bag.

Wondering what her lover was up to and why she was suddenly so interested in her bag when they could be snuggling Rein tried to peek into the bag by leaning over Hayate's shoulder. The little monster noticed her and shifted so she nearly had her head in the bag and was blocking her view entirely.

Huffing with disappointment Rein leaned back on the seat and asked peevishly, "What's in the bag?"

Hayate just continued scurrying through her bag, her grumbling mutter of, "I know it's in here," and, "Ouch, what the hell was that?" and "Oh so that's where that went," would have been quite entertaining if Rein wasn't feeling so neglected from her suddenly diving into her bag.

She so rarely got to go out with her girlfriend alone, the woman's cousins always seemed to be hanging around. And while she liked Vita even if she could be a bit pushy, Signum was intimidating and made her feel like she wasn't good enough for Hayate. It was like the woman's eyes were screaming how defective and unsatisfactory she was. Thank god the Amazon would be leaving soon as she spent part of the year in Germany with her wife. Once gone she'd move on to the next stage in her plans to have Hayate all to herself, little Vita-chan was going to be entertained by a string of girls from Rein's agency, surely one of them would hit it off with her. Then once the woman was pleasantly distracted she'd pack Hayate's things bit by bit and move it into her apartment until, bam! Hayate was moved in completely and all hers.

Hayate's sudden, "Got it," and nearly climbing out of the seemingly bottomless bag she carried around caught Rein's attention.

Sitting up Rein looked at Hayate's hand and was immediately struck dumb, _no way, this wasn't happening, the little monster was stealing a march on her!_

Bright blue eyes looked up into shocked ruby eyes making the shorter woman smirk a bit, "I guess you already know what this is," she said as she shook the small box in her hand, Rein's eyes followed it mesmerized.

"Reinforce Eins, I love you and I want us to spend the rest of our lives together. I know it won't all be sunshine and rainbows but I promise I will always put in the effort to work through whatever problems come our way. I want us to grow stronger; I really want that family you spoke about when we were in France. Rein, will you marry me?"

Hayate's small hands griped the box and flipped it open, and Rein wanted to cry, the ring inside the box was an exact match to the one she had in her apartment, only this one was sized for her. Tears now sliding down her cheeks she grabbed the smaller woman and kissed her with all the love she could pour into it.

Pulling back she said in a voice hoarse with emotion, "Yes, yes I'll marry you. Even if you ruined my proposal!"

Surprised but happy Hayate asked, "And when were you planning on asking me?"

Cupping the soft cheek of her lover Rein leaned in to rub noses with her and said, "Valentine's Day. I already had dinner reservations at your favorite restaurant and the ring."

Briefly kissing her fiancée Hayate pulled back and with shaking fingers she pulled the ring out of the box and took the long fingered hand of her lover. Holding the ring unsteadily she asked, "May I?"

A soft kiss on her nose and a teasing response came her way, "Only if I get to slip my ring on your finger when we get back to my apartment."

Without a second hesitation Hayate slid the ring onto the hand of her lover and was satisfied with the fit. She only had a second to enjoy it as Rein was now pulling her out of the café, destination: Home ASAP.

Rein was now a woman on a mission, get her engagement ring on Hayate's hand then make love to the adorable little monster that owned her heart, mind and soul.

~"~"~"~

Another pair seemed equally hung up on the couple but it wasn't helping their relationship one bit. Carim had been told Alicia was obsessed with her sister but the carefree manner she went about things seemed to prove the opposite. Alicia could and would disappear for days, didn't seemed to call her sister on any kind of regular basis so how could they say she was attached to her? But if Fate needed anything, if Fate was ill or upset, or if Fate told her something then anything Alicia may have planned elsewhere became negligible. Fate didn't even expect it from her sister and actually made an effort not to ask her for favors when she knew she had other plans. This meant Alicia actually had to go out of her way to accommodate her sister, to learn of her needs circumspectly so she could anticipate them.

The first time Alicia cancelled a date with her so she could go home and talk with her sister she hadn't believed her. She had followed her and when she got home she had fully expected Alicia to maybe change then go out to see some other woman. Well she did change and see another woman…her sister. The pair had ended up on the couch with Fate's head on her sister's lap as she spoke while the elder blonde brushed her sister's hair and played with the long silky locks as they talked. Stunned, she had been utterly stunned that Alicia had dropped her just so she could come home and play with her sister's hair and listen to her angst over Nanoha.

Carim watched Alicia now and wondered why the evil twin wasn't working herself up into a lather since her precious baby sister was so depressed and obviously needed her big sister to save her. Instead the seemingly callous blonde was reading on the couch, pillow behind her propping her head up while a small collection of snack foods and soft drink cans littered the area around her. Her feet were propped up on the arm of the couch and annoyingly her socks were hanging nearly off, only the pad of her foot and toes still enclosed in the wooly accessory. Occasionally Alicia would flick her foot as she read and the hanging fabric would whip out.

Coming over to the reclining blonde, Carim sat on the couch and pulled Alicia's feet into her lap, immediately pulling her socks on properly. Seeing her girlfriend had something on her mind Alicia sat up but couldn't stop herself from grimacing when her socks were fully pulled on. Pulling her feet to herself she yanked the socks off and left them in a small pile on the floor. Scratching her heel and ankles Alicia asked distractedly, "What's up?"

Annoyed by Alicia's behavior Carim huffed, "What's the point of wearing socks if you're not going to do it properly?"

Knowing that wasn't what was bugging her girlfriend but not in the mood to cater to her delicate sensibilities she said in as uncouth a manner as possible, "The wool makes me itchy but my toes get cold so I just pull them on enough to keep them warm. Socks are winter hats for my feet, I once thought about cutting off the heel portion so they wouldn't drag."

In an aggrieved voice Carim asked almost scornfully, "And why haven't you? Oh let me guess your precious Fate-chan doesn't like the way it looks!"

Internally rolling her eyes but playing it cool on the outside Alicia replied, "Nah, it's because they're knitted and would fall apart if I did that. I have a few pairs of half socks that Fate knitted for me but they seem to have disappeared, I think Einhart and Vivio _acquired_ them from the laundry basket, little sneak thieves."

Carim was ready to scream, why was Alicia being so blasé about her sister? The last time they saw the woman she looked like she was one harsh word away from a total melt down. The innocent carefree look on Alicia's face was almost too much to deal with, her whole career was riding on Fate's emotional stability and it didn't look like she was going to survive the weekend, let alone nine months of her wife's pregnancy. Would Fate even let her near Nanoha with the equipment?

Shifting on the couch Alicia then grabbed Carim and pulled her down onto her lap. Soon Alicia had Carim laid out with her head on her lap and the woman's long blonde hair spilling over so she could play with it as they spoke. Alicia loved playing with hair, whether it was Fate's, Einhart's, Vivio's or on the ultra rare occasion Nanoha's, it didn't matter as long as it was one of her loved ones. It was her way of initiating someone into her family; she did not play with the hair of people she did not love.

As soon as Carim felt Alicia's hand begin to comb through her hair she jump back up and slapped her catching Alicia's cheek and the corner of her lips. Anger and frustration fueling her screaming rage, "I am not your sister!"

Alicia touched her cheek and mouth, both were tender but more so was her feelings, looking up the now huffing woman Alicia began to wonder if she had made a mistake falling for her. Carim had pursued her, had made her feel things she never thought possible but now she had just struck her and there was no way she was going to take that kind of abuse. With her heart close to breaking Alicia asked, "Why did you hit me?"

Carim suddenly realized what she'd done; she had just acted out like a spoiled child and hit the person she loves. Shoulders sagging Carim said in an exhausted voice, "Because I am tired of being a replacement for your sister."

Frowning Alicia got up and grabbed Carim roughly, tired of all the head games she went for the kill and kissed the woman hard. Soon she had Carim gasping for air and moaning as a brutal hand began to pinch and tease its way down her body. Carim screamed into Alicia's mouth when two fingers jammed themselves into her; it hadn't hurt as she was beyond turned on by the rough treatment. The slick sound of Alicia finger fucking her was loud and obscene and just made the rough sex all the more enjoyable for the would be victim. As her body tightened on the edge of release Carim felt Alicia pull at her hair which made her head fall back. Then suddenly Alicia was biting her and a third finger was being jammed into her and she came from the onslaught of sensations. Pulling her hand out of Carim's pants Alicia then pressed her fingers to the older woman's lips and watched her lick them clean. Once this was done Alicia released her, pushing her back onto the couch where she stared up at Alicia hungrily.

The voice Alicia used now was the one she lectured with, it commanded attention and respect, "Tell me Carim, do you think I have or currently engage in sexual intercourse with my sister?"

Suddenly no longer aroused Carim floundered for a moment then answered, "No, I don't think you have that kind of relationship with Fate. Outside of her relationship with Nanoha I don't think you sister has even considered sex."

Nodding Alicia asked her next question, "Have I during the time you have known me shown any indication that I am obsessed with my sister in any way that might be unhealthy to either of us?"

Shifting uncomfortably on the couch Carim hemmed and hawed for a moment then said, "You go running to her if she calls for you. You've always put her first but she doesn't give you the same consideration. I've seen you watching her when we are out, checking to see where she is and who she's talking too. The only time you seem to relax your vigil is when Nanoha is with her."

Looking at a photo on the side table of Fate and Nanoha from some weekend before the wedding, the happiness and love in their eyes for each other was plain to see. She then looked at Carim and wondered if it was her own actions that prevented them being equally happy. Rubbing her cheek Alicia tried to explain the unexplainable,

"Imagine one day you wake up and you're told your mother has been hurt badly, she might die. So you and your family pray and spend every moment possible at the hospital watching over a figure wrapped in bandages that people tell you is your mother. Then the bandages come off but the woman who had been wrapped in them wasn't really your mother. Your mother died in the explosion. This woman is wearing her skin and speaks with her voice and for a short while even touches you gently with her hands.

Then she destroys what remaining happy memories you had for the mama you once had. She starts screaming at everyone. Then she hits your father. Life has now become a constant game of don't upset mama. Eventually we lose the game and papa takes the brunt of it, she takes a knife and tries to stab…she tried to stab me because I told her I hated her. Papa was nearly killed protecting me and Fate wouldn't let me go. We leave mama locked up in her room but then we have to go to court.

We tell the judge we want to stay with papa. We try to tell him about how mean mama has become but she tells the judge that papa has made us lie. She tells him she wants her babies and will take good care of us. The judge believes her and grants her custody of us. Papa tries to argue and in the end she gives papa me and keeps Fate. Fate screams when we are separated, mama is holding her back and papa is carrying me away. He doesn't even pause; he just walks away from his screaming daughter.

We leave and father tells me we need to get on with our lives. But every night I can hear her, I can hear her crying. I can hear her begging. I tell father and he ignores me. Every day for three years the first words I tell him every morning are, "Fate-chan was crying, we need to go to her." Birthdays and Christmas were the worse, he'd ask me what I wanted and I'd say, "Imōto." He got so sick of it one day he slapped me and told me to forget about Fate, she had likely forgotten all about me and was living a happy life. But I knew better, I could hear her crying, it wasn't as loud as it used to be, sometimes it'd only be a whimper or my name. AH GOD, why…why did she do it? She…we were just babies for Christ sake!

When I finally got father to return to Italy and I saw Fate she was different, her eyes were almost dead. Then while mother was arguing with father I was able to pull her into the light from the window, she was painfully thin and didn't offer the least resistance to me pulling her about. I lifted her dress and it was a complete mess. I had hugged her and she hadn't responded to it, how she had refrained from screaming in pain from when I touched her I don't know. I could smell dirt and blood when I held her but I hadn't a clue and then I was shown a world of pain and terror.

You would think the locked up princess would now have her happily ever after. And in a way she does now that Nanoha has come but the road from bloody victim to happy wife was paved in tears and more blood. Fate nearly died once she got to the hospital, she was physically addicted to some of the chemicals mother injected into her. She was severely underweight and had things embedded in her body that had to be surgically removed. Finally I got to bring her home with me and between me and the therapist we were getting her open up. She was drawing and painting again, but hadn't said a word. Then father sent me go get him his god damned cigarettes, the selfish bastard didn't care that Fate was scared of her own shadow when left alone in a strange house. I ran all the way and when I got back what did I find? My sister readying herself to cut her own wrists, she was so tired of being scared she wanted to die.

I tried to give her space to grow and make friends but every time I thought I could trust someone to support her I was let down. The so- called adults could only see a broken child; the other kids just saw a freak, why couldn't they see my little sister? Why couldn't they see the little girl who just wanted to paint and make people smile? Of all of them I thought Chrono understood and then he was gone. I was beginning to fear Fate really would end up alone, I tried to push her to open up, at least make some friends. Then that just blew up in my face with Quattro breaking her trust, as if my sister didn't have enough issues without someone going around spreading malicious rumors.

Since coming to Uminari I've made some amazing strides in getting my sister to open up to people. I even had some hope one day Ginga would get her thumb out of her ass and ask Fate out. All I've ever wanted is my sister to be happy; I realized long ago I would never be able to give her what she needs. I can't begin to say how happy I was the day Nanoha came into our lives. Sure Fate was in a constant state of emotional turmoil as she tried to figure out what was going on. But she was there for me when I went through all my dating idiocy when we were in college.

Carim, other than Einhart I have no family outside Fate. We are identical twins and other than those three years she was with our mother we have always lived together. Even now that she's married she will be coming "home" to work on paintings. Nanoha completely agrees with this and knows I will always be a large part of Fate's life. But unlike a lot of insecure women she doesn't see my relationship with Fate as a bad thing. Nanoha knows she's not enough; she doesn't have the emotion strength to support Fate all alone. She knows Fate needs her big brother Chrono, her best friend Arf, all her students Teana, Caro, Erio, Subaru and even Ginga. She has welcomed Fate's friends Shario, Lucino and Alto into their lives. She was even willing to meet and welcome people into their lives that could have split her and Fate up, did you know that idiot Stern tried to hit on Fate the night before the wedding? But Nanoha still isn't trying to cut Fate off from her friends. She understands _she_ is Fate's most important person, but she isn't the _only_ person in her life.

Up until a few weeks ago I never would have even considered having someone other than my sister as my most important person in my world, for me since before even the abuse it was Fate. My world has centered on my twin sister, though she has forced me to live a more separate life from her for both our sakes. But everyone knows No One means more to me than her. For Fate I would kill and more importantly I would die, I would give everything I am to protect her. But that's not necessary anymore. Fate has made it clear that the position of obsessively possessive protector has been filled and it's time for me to find a new hobby.

For years I have been Fate's most important person, it was a heavy burden at times. As a child knowing that if I showed the least bit of fatigue it could mean losing her forever. Fate started the process of pushing me away in high school, and I let her because I thought Chrono would pick up the slack then slide in to take my place. Instead she was left with a void and I couldn't step back in to fill it so, many people sensed it was there and tried to fill it but none could until…Nanoha. That void was her looking for a partner, not a protector, not a hero, but someone who could help her stand on her own two feet.

When Fate announced she was getting married, I knew I had been officially replaced. But I was happy because I knew she was already Nanoha's most important person. In actions and words Nanoha has proven that, she even loves Fate more than the daughter she loves with all her heart. Proof being she followed my idiot sister at the drop of a hat and left the poor child to the tender mercies of Miyuki and Einhart for two weeks. Further proof she goes out of her way to invite the people Fate cares for into their home and doesn't try to hoard Fate. Fate has been getting progressively more depressed but can still function at a higher level than I have ever seen because Nanoha keeps their home so full of love. I haven't a single doubt that by the end of this weekend the pair will be back to being the lovey-dovey oblivious to the rest of the world idiot couple we are used to seeing.

Care-bear I am ready to have someone else as my most important person. Fate has not only found someone to replace me but I thank all the saints and god in heaven that the someone she chose also holds her equally important. I love you and would like to spend the rest of my life with you. You know and accept all of me; I don't have to hide any part of myself from you which is something I never thought possible. People usually only want the party-girl for fun or the nerd to help further a career. So I need to know, can you accept Fate and all of my friends in my life? Care, I need you to let go of whatever hang up you have regarding Reinforce. She's going to be marrying that idiot Hayate so she's not going to disappear one day just because I decide not to be friends with her. She is part of the circle of friends that both Fate and I consider family. If we are going to make this work then you need recognize that while you will be my most important person you can't be the only person in my life. They say no man is an island, and Care-bear this lady right here comes with a full menagerie, I'm a greedy person, love. I want you to be the center of my world and still have the full cast of characters in our life to keep us entertained."

Carim normally would have just jumped up and pledged anything just to get Alicia back in her arms but this was serious. The pain in her voice when she spoke of her childhood and the process of reconnecting with Fate made it clear the bond between them wasn't going to be broken. That Nanoha had recognized this and accepted it showed she was a lot more mature than Carim had previously given her credit for. It would be most people's instinct to try and wrestle full control over one's lover and try to keep them all for one's self like a dragon with its hoard. It's what Carim wanted to do with Alicia; sharing the blonde with the world made her ache with fear, Alicia attracted too much attention, how soon would it be before someone swept her away?

As Carim sat thinking and arguing with herself Alicia watched her and could see her struggling with something. Reaching out she asked, "Care-bear, what is it? Why is this so hard for you?"

Blue eyes shone with love and desperation, "I don't want to share you. I'm horrible. I can't stand the idea of someday losing you. That's what will happen, you are so beautiful and smart and charming, some woman will see all that and then seduce you away from me. I am not very young and soon my looks will fade…"

The combined sigh and growl made Carim start but it was the menacing way Alicia now leaned into her and soon had her pinned to the couch that made her heart flutter and arousal peak. She loved dominating the younger woman but god help her if she didn't love it even more when she got like this.

Burning embers bore into her as wicked white teeth flashed for a moment then dug into her ear lobe, hot breath made her shiver then words stole her breath away, "When I pledge myself it will be for life. I don't do half measures, it's all or nothing. This is why I have to know Carim; I will not allow you to destroy me. You very nearly have the power to do so now. If I bind myself to you it won't because of your physical attributes, as enticing as they may be, it won't be because of your age or skill in bed. I've had my fill of one-night stands, physical beauty means very little to me, what I find myself longing for is very simple and rare. I want to be with the woman who makes me feel like a whole person. She'll be the woman who can dress up and go to a party with me and she will be perfectly comfortable being my escort, then when we get home I will change into my lab gear and have she'll able to understand me when I talk nerd, and after we're done there I want us to be able to shed all our clothes and be comfortable with who we are and enjoy each other's bodies. I don't want to have to be the dominate one all the time; I want to be able to trust my partner with every part of me and know she'll nurture and love each aspect of me. I promise you Carim, if you choose me as your partner I will never stray from you."

Closing her eyes and trembling under the sensation of Alicia's exquisite mouth Carim felt like she was falling apart and blurted out, "How can you say such a thing? You've never been faithful to a woman before, you don't know the first thing about fidelity or having a relationship. You'll be the one to destroy me, you'll rip my heart into pieces when you run off with one of those pretty models, how could I even begin to compete with them?!"

Pulling back so they could look each other in the eyes Alicia said resignedly, "If you really believe that then maybe it's time to end this now. I love you but I won't live in constant fear. Fear of being hit or screamed at because you are too blind and paranoid to see the truth."

Alicia got up and quickly began cleaning up her mess. Soon she had all her things packed and she was leaving Carim's apartment. The older blonde sat on the couch disbelieving, this couldn't be happening, her whole life was walking out the door. When Alicia began to remove her copy of the key to the apartment from her key-ring Carim snapped and grabbed her sobbing.

Alicia tried to be as cold as her sister by remaining aloof but tears filled her eyes and her hands shook. Patting Carim's shoulder she tried to say dispassionately, "This is for the best."

Shaking her head and now becoming aggressive Carim tightened her hold on Alicia and said, "Like Hell it is. I am sorry Alicia but I am a possessive bitch. I can't stand the idea of others being close to you. I've lost too much and I couldn't stand losing you too."

This was the first time Carim had spoken of her past; perhaps the concept of letting sleeping dogs lay was wrong. Pushing Carim until her back was to the door Alicia pressured her, "Talk to me, what have you lost? Who are you comparing me too in that head of yours?"

The pressure of Alicia's hands and the feeling of the door made her crack and admit, "My wife. My ex-wife, she left me for a younger woman. We hadn't even been married for a year when she fell for her new lab assistant. The girl was a fucking undergraduate, how the hell could I compete with that?!"

Taking and releasing a deep breath Alicia centered herself then looked Carim in the eyes, tears flecked her long eyelashes, "Carim, there would never even be a contest, you'd win hands down every time. I don't know what your ex was like but obviously she was blind and an idiot. Why the hell would she want a kid when she has you?"

Carim's head hung down as she sobbed words coming out in choked gasps, "She…said I…was getting old. Th…that I was…boring. That…that I wasn't attractive and co…couldn't satisfy her in bed."

Alicia was ready to hunt this bitch down and render her into mincemeat. Instead she tightened her hold on Carim's shoulders and shook her, "Look at me," only to be given a shake of the head. Growling she demanded again, "Damn it look at me Carim Gracia!"

She looked a mess, eyes swollen and red, her nose running and mouth wet. How many times had she seen her sister in the same state? But this time it was different, this time she not only saw pass the icky bodily fluids that sobbing brought on she also saw pass the poised façade Carim had put up for her. It had cracked a few times in the past but for the first time she really saw the woman behind the mask. Alicia was relieved to know she had fallen in love with exactly who she thought she had. Smiling at the ragged waif in front of her she said, "I love you Carim. I am sorry my past behavior is making it hard for you to trust me. But I need for you to try; I don't want to let you go. I could never want another woman after you, you know me better than I know myself. To me you are and always will be the most beautiful woman I have ever had the pleasure to meet."

Crying Carim said, "Why are you lying to me?"

Loosening her grip Alicia wiped her face with her hands and even playful wiped her nose with her sleeve then cupping her face gently leaned in and kissed her. It was just a soft kiss but it spoke volumes. Petting her disheveled hair and tracing her flushed cheek all the while looking at her with inquisitive red eyes. Not once in her life had Carim felt so closely examined. Then the soft hands began to pull at her clothing and soon she was naked standing at her doorway. Alicia looked her over inch by inch making Carim squirm and want to cover herself. Finally after a disquieting long time where Alicia stared at her from behind the younger blonde spoke.

"I am not sure how many times we've made love but I must say I am a fool. I've never really taken the time to really look at you," Alicia spoke calmly as she let the tips of her fingers trace a line from Carim's neck to her hip.

"I only have the barest knowledge of what you like, where you are sensitive, thinking on it I realized you've been hiding in plain sight. You've only let me see what you want me to see. But that ends now, whether you accept me or not I am going to love you. I am going to explore every inch of you and learn what you like; I am going to mark you as my own. Even if you leave me I am going to make sure you never forget me, you've already left an indelible mark on me, and it's time for me to do the same."

~"~"~"~

Carim awoke and found herself looking into deep red eyes. The things Alicia had done to her surpassed her expectations and left her wondering if she'd be able to survive losing her. Was that Alicia's plan? Even before this night she had already known this woman was too much for her to handle. She had arrogantly thought she could play with fire, conquer it and not be burned. It had been love at first sight for Carim, she hadn't expected to feel anything for anyone ever again then the blonde goddess walked up on stage and everything changed.

Alicia lived two separate lives, one a playgirl model and the other a dedicated scientist who played no games where her work was concerned. The fact that her scientific work was done under a pseudonym and her appearance was so different from her glamorous public persona was shocking. The scientific community had as many gossips as any other professional community and could be far more vicious when it came to destroying a colleague's reputation if it put them ahead. Learning from an acquaintance that the speaker of the day was nothing but a jumped up model with a teaching certificate had left her wondering why anyone of attending. The packed room wasn't filled with just gawkers, when she saw an old friend she sat down next to her and got a blow by blow analysis of the young woman's presentation. A presentation that she had co-authored and was staking her own prestigious reputation on which furthered Carim's growing interest in the woman.

Shamal Wolkenritter had seen many women look at Alicia Testarossa the way Carim was but for the first time she actually thought the relationship could work. Before Carim had allowed herself to be manipulated and used by her wife, ex-wife, she had been a lively and engaging woman. That she had wasted a year in a depressed state over her perceived loss and declared she'd never love again had many of her friends shaking their heads and cut themselves off from her. Shamal though felt a motherly bond to the younger woman and held no grudge against her for tempestuous affair with her cousin many years prior. Hayate had settled down a little thanks to the failed relationship and seemed to actually be looking for something serious these days beyond groping women.

The longer Alicia spoke the more Carim fell in love, her manner of speaking, her fleeting smile and the intelligent gleam to her dark eyes had her hypnotized. When she stepped down from the podium the audience gave a mixed reply, but she didn't seem to care. She had shared her findings and it was now time for others to decide if they would take her work to the next step. Shamal watched how Carim's eyes followed the younger blonde and had offered to introduce them but she had declined, too ashamed of her current state to face the young beauty. Then she had found out the Wolkenritters had a working relationship with her and how it could be made to advance her own career. She used this as an excuse to reach out electronically with the young genius. She used every source she had to learn more about her and her obsession grew, as did her fear. If she ever got a chance to be with the woman it would only end in tears, a one night stand that would haunt her or an outright rejection because they would be colleagues.

So she had gambled and used the woman's known love and protectiveness of her sister to bait and trap her. She had kept up the pretense for as long as she could making it harder for Alicia to pretend to be somebody she wasn't all the while using her inside knowledge to seduce the woman. She should be ashamed of herself for milking her former lover for information and even an invitation to the charity auction so she could ensnare the younger woman. But all she could see was Alicia, the dichotomy of her life and the brilliant way she glowed.

She did everything she could to hide her weakness, to be powerful and dominate, to take control and set the pace for the relationship. Instead it became a roller coaster and now the ride had come to the end, now she has to decide if she can accept the inherent uncertainty that came with having a real relationship. Alicia had proven herself many times above the reach of women; she paid little heed to compliments or blatant offers of sex. How many times had she stupidly spied on her and found her innocently working and even rejecting offers she could have gotten away with indulging in? How many times had Alicia shown her, her real self, like the idiocy with her socks, who would believe her so silly? Her love of videogames and junk food she indulged in with her teen cousin, her fascination with science fiction novels and ridiculous sense of humor all would have scandalized the conceited models she normally associated with.

But not all of them were so narrow minded, a woman like Reinforce might come along and then what? Sighing Carim said in a defeated voice, "I am scared. I've made a mess of our relationship; I started this whole thing on a lie. All because I knew to pursue you openly would mean you'd never give me a real chance."

Licking her lips in nervousness Alicia replied, "I recognized you at the auction. I knew who you were because Shamal had shown me a picture of you. I knew we had collaborated and normally that would have meant you would be off limits. But you can have no idea how attractive I found you. I remembered the emails you sent me, your humor and intelligence and I thought if I was Fate then I wouldn't have to be the nerd or the vixen and could just enjoy being with you. That night as we spoke I couldn't get over how nice it was to have someone talk to me like I had a brain and was attractive but not be forceful in their advances. I've always been jealous of my sister in a way, I was never interested in Nanoha but it was clear from day one Fate had caught her attention and nothing I did would shift her. Even Rein seemed more interested in Fate than me, she'd ask about her all the time. When I was following her around I flirted with her trying to get her attention because she was one of the most accepting people I have ever met. She saw Fate and I together, she saw Fate's scars and she accepted it with barely a bat of the eye. I was never in love with Rein; I was just intrigued with her, how her mind worked and why others couldn't be more like her. Rein and Ginga are the only two women I've met who not only know the full truth about Fate's past and how close we are and have never judged us but equally have no interest in us as bedmates."

Carim shifted and asked, "Do you honestly believe neither Ginga nor Rein wouldn't sleep with you if you offered?"

Laughing Alicia replied, "I know it for a fact, before you came into my life I propositioned both of them. I've known Ginga since I was in college and even dated her for a short time but she refused to sleep with me. She's worst than me when it comes to her sister fetish, if Subaru needed anything she'd dump me on my ass and run to her baby sister. I found it pretty funny once Fate pointed out I was just getting the same treatment I'd given other women. In the end we broke up and stayed friends. She still treats both Fate and I like family, it may look like flirting but she's what Nanoha calls a toucher. As for Rein she shot me down so many times it's sad, but I didn't keep chasing her because I really wanted in her pants it was more of a way to keep her around. I don't really know how to be friends with women."

Frowning Carim asked, "And if one of them changed their mind and offered herself to you?"

Shifting closer a bit Alicia shook her head, "They wouldn't. Ginga may not have a lover but after all these years we see each other as sisters. I couldn't see myself sleeping with her, not even if we were both drunk, it just wouldn't happen. As for Rein she's in love with Hayate and there is no way she'd stray from her. If the offer ever came I'd be more offended then happy, it would mean she had no respect for her relationship with Hayate or mine with you. She's not that kind of person and I love you too much to consider a proposition as anything other than an insult."

Carim was surprised at this answer, "You'd be insulted?"

Brushing a hand across her cheek to capture a stray lock of hair and tuck it behind Carim's ear Alicia answered bemusedly, "I am a lot of things Carim but I do have scruples. Surely you wouldn't have fallen for me if I was truly a depraved wanton?"

Blushing Carim muttered, "I knew you don't sleep with married women or women in relationships. Though you have been known to flirt with them."

Smiling ruefully, "Don't know how to be friends with women so I fall back on what I know, flirting."

Looking up shyly Carim asked, "Do you think you might learn how not to do that?"

Skimming her hand down the length of Carim's arm until their hands joined Alicia said honestly, "For you, I'd be willing to learn how to fly."

Knowing how scared she was of heights that meant a lot, pressing forward to kiss Alicia softly then teased, "Just stop flirting and we can skip the flying lessons."

~"~"~"~

A/N2: Thanks for reading and please review. See y'all tomorrow with the second half and the moment you're all waiting for The Pregnancy!


	18. Chapter 18: Life As We Know It Pt2

A/N: As promised the second part, please keep in mind I retain the discretion to tweak things later down the road…genetics is still a tricky thing to interpret, heh-heh. I hope to have the next chapter completed by Valentine's Day. It looks like this story doesn't really want to end yet so I'll go with the flow and hope y'all enjoy the ride.

Disclaimer: I don't own MGLN or any of its characters, no claim of ownership is being made or profits from this story.

~"~"~"~

Chapter 18 Life As We Know It Part 2

While their elders finally got their lives on track the younger generation was finding their alone time strained. Einhart was worrying about Vivio's reaction to Fate; she'd been unusually quiet all day knowing her _moms_ would not be home all weekend. As the previous weeks had gone by and Fate grew quieter and more reclusive Einhart had both Takamachi females looking to her for direction. All she could do was tell them to keep trying to reach out to her but Fate actually physically pulling away was a new thing to them both. Einhart knew Fate's _funk,_ as Alicia called it, was much more serious than normal which meant Nanoha was going to have to get physical but she didn't want to be the one to explain that or be anywhere nearby to witness it. Especially since Alicia had classified this _funk_ an eight on her Fate-o-meter. The amount of reassurance Fate was going to need would be intensive.

The contemplative looks that passed over Vivio's face weren't much clue on whether she was angry, upset or sad over Fate withdrawing from her. They had made it through Friday classes and were now sitting in Einhart's room doing homework but Vivio was obviously distracted. Putting her pen down Einhart looked over the sighing and fidgeting blonde waiting for her to just blurt out her concern.

When she continued to be silent Einhart finally decided to end the silence by asking, "What's wrong Vi?"

Vivio looked up and she could see concern and a bit of frustration on Einhart's face, biting her cheek she tried to think of what to say but her concerns were all a jumble so just muttered, "Nothing really."

Sighing Einhart got up and moved to sit closer to her girlfriend and took her hand before saying gently, "If you have any concerns regarding Fate then it's okay to share them with me. I won't be offended if you complain about her, she's not perfect Vi."

Sighing in return Vivio leaned her head on Einhart's shoulder and said quietly, "Would you think I was stupid for thinking she was, then being disappointed?"

Einhart wrapped an arm around Vivio and held her snuggly as she chuckled a little before admitting, "No, I'm actually impressed you could actually see her as perfect. Most people admire her but once they find out about her past they tend to start looking down on her as if she's broken or see her in an almost supernatural light."

It was Vivio's turn to snort a laugh, "Supernatural? What? Like a vampire?"

Happy that Vivio was relaxing Einhart replied honestly, "No, more like a good luck charm or talisman. After surviving something as awful as she has it sort of proves she's "lucky" so people believe having her around will make things go smoother or easier. Alicia thinks it's hilarious that Fate gets invited to so many weddings and baby showers because of this. Within the art community they don't know about her abuse just that she is the survivor of a terrible "accident." No one knows the true extent of her injuries, according to Alicia the story passed along by Harlaown-sensei was enough for all of them to respect her privacy. Rumors of her dark and troubled past along with her method of dressing have added to her mystic."

Vivio took this in and shook her head, "People are so weird. But I guess that's better than having people look down on you. I can't imagine anyone doing that for long though, she's so…so awesome."

Blushing Vivio remembered the conversation she had with her mother before they all went to the bathes together. She had made it clear that Fate's childhood had left her with some pretty horrible scars but they did not change who she was as a person. Her mother had fully expected her to remember that Fate was still the same as she had always been, clothed or not. Seeing them had been fascinating, and honestly she could understand her mother's obsession with Fate, scarred or not she was freaking hot. The way she had looked Vivio in the eyes after revealing herself had been like being under the microscope. Vivio not knowing what to say or do just went on instinct and said stupidly, "Damn, what do I have to eat to get breasts like yours?"

Definitely not her best moment but it made Fate laugh and had broken the tension in the room. Nanoha had words with her later about the inappropriateness of her words but then they had spent the rest of the night giggling like school girls talking about how amazing Fate is and their respective relationships. The very idea of looking down on Fate or seeing her as a victim hadn't really entered her head, Fate was too amazing a person and her scars were like badges of courage that proved how strong she was.

Einhart shifted uncomfortably making Vivio turn to look at her and see a troubled look on her face, "What?"

Feeling stupid Einhart admitted, "I did, I thought of her as broken."

Horrified Vivio looked at her and exclaimed, "You're her cousin! How could you think that?!"

Feeling defensive Einhart blurted out, "Because that's how I was taught to look at her! I was told stories about her all my life that created this horrible myth of who she was. Our family is…was pretty harsh on perceived weakness and defects."

Seeing disbelief Einhart continued speaking softly, "I never told you about my coming to live with _The Testarossa Sisters_ did I?"

Vivio frowned at the emphasis but didn't say anything, shaking her head and taking in the raw pain and shame in Einhart's eyes she began to wonder why they had never spoken about this before.

Feeling antsy Einhart stood up and began to pace the room as she spoke,

"Growing up Fate was just a character in a story my mother told, other than the one time when she taught me to sketch during a rare visit I had never interacted with her. All I knew is what I'd learned from my family, Fate was the tragic artist, no longer able to function in the world without her sister. The physically perfect Alicia had turned to a sort hedonism to deal with the pressure of having to support her sister's fragile psyche. As proof of her opinion right before my mom died she pointed out an article about them; it had a photo of Fate looking away from the camera, looking cool and aloof, while Alicia was looking dead on with a wicked sensual smile. Mom complained about how little they cared about others, our family's business was taking a downturn and neither sister seemed to care enough to lend us the money to bail my father out.

In the years leading up to my parents and…brother's death we were always told about how perfect Alicia could have been if only Fate hadn't been _ruined_ by what happened which in turn had warped Alicia's psyche. As you can imagine we weren't the Testarossas' favorite visitors. My mother was Precia Testarossa's identical twin so she wasn't even allowed in their house. My father didn't really get along with Marius Testarossa, so I think I saw my cousins maybe three times prior to the accident. The only visit I remember I was seven and Fate was silent except when I showed an interest in her sketchbook and told her I liked drawing. That was the only time I saw her smile and she took me to see her artwork. She was like some otherworldly being showing me some of the most beautiful artwork I had ever seen.

The accident that took my family away from me happened when I was staying the night with my best friend. I had whined and begged to stay over instead of spending the weekend with my _boring_ family. I had even told Claus to leave me alone when we were at school. I was getting inundated with girls trying to be my friend just so they could get closer to him. It was annoying because I had a crush on one of those girls and had hoped her coming to make friends with me meant she might like me. I don't think I could have been a bigger brat than I was that weekend. I woke up Sunday morning and my best friend's parents told me there had been an accident.

I spent a week in limbo, I have no other family, my father's family is dead as was all but Fate and Alicia on my mother's side. I thought maybe my best friend's family might keep me, then I heard her parents talking, my family hadn't left much behind, there had been large debts and that ate up most of my inheritance. It wasn't worthwhile to keep me, and my best friend didn't even try to argue with her parents. So with nothing of worth to bring with me I was heading to the only people on earth who might be charitable enough to take me based on tenuous familial bonds.

Meeting them again was weird, Alicia was reserved but friendly enough, Fate took one look at me and instantly agreed to let me live with them. I must have looked like shit, I had been crying constantly because of the way I had treated Claus and my parents, over the position I was left in where no one wanted me, and fear. Fate must have recognized the feelings that must have been blaring off me and felt a kinship with me. She honestly wanted to help me but I thought it was pity.

I hid my feelings and tried to become the best child possible, did all I could to impress them. All the while I watched them...I watched Fate. And that's when I began having problems reconciling the painfully shy and reserved public persona with the laughing and teasing woman who engaged Alicia and the awe inspiring artist that I so wanted to emulate. All the stories my mother told of her damaged niece didn't help either, and in a way Fate seemed to confirm a lot of my mother's whisperings. She had no lover or private love life that I could see, she always wore concealing clothing and if touched without warning she'd flinch.

You've seen her scars Vivio, but you don't have to live with the knowledge that your aunt, your own mother's twin sister was capable of torturing their own child. After her treatment why did she even bother with me? My mother never gave her a second thought, she could have…should have stopped Precia. My mom had just as much access to the family estate Precia retreated to with Fate. She could have shown up and demanded to see Fate. She knew her sister was going mad; she should have had her committed but didn't want to face her, didn't want to face what it meant to have an insane sister. In the end my mom was haunted by what happened to Fate, unsure if what Precia had done was the result of her accident or a madness that ran in our blood.

I had been living with them for about three months and had fallen into a routine, but an accident meant Fate was in the bath for the second time, during the time I normally took my own bath. When I walked in on Fate I freaked out and caused her to spiral into one of these funks. I've lived a pretty sheltered life Vi, and no amount of supposition can forewarn you for what was done to Fate. I was horrified, not by her but by what she had suffered. I felt ashamed, again not of having her as family but of the family members who had allowed it to happen.

I couldn't look Fate in the eyes because I was ashamed of my mother's part in her abuse, I may not have been born until afterwards but I couldn't help feeling guilty by association. My mom turned a blind eye while trying to get pregnant. She ignored her sister's descent into madness and the very likely chance her own niece was going to be abused if left alone. Unlike Precia my mother had a lot of trouble getting pregnant, tried hormone treatments and IVF a multitude of times. It was only after she stopped trying so hard and actually started thinking of something other than her ovaries that she got pregnant.

So there I was, living with a woman who had survived hell and all I could do was look at her like she was a victim. I couldn't even pretend anymore than she was normal but with a few eccentric foibles. I stupidly started treating her like she was weak, like she'd break if I made a sudden move or spoke too loud. Fate reacts to the people she loves, if we lead her to think she's damaged or a freak then the negative thinking settles in and she spirals right down into depression. Sometimes she falls into this thinking all on her own due to stress and it's up to those who love her to snap her out of it.

Don't misunderstand me Vi, I loved Fate by that time, I loved who she was at home, just in front of me and Alicia. Alicia tried to maintain her reserved but friendly stance but Fate wouldn't stand for it, she said we all had to wear enough masks as it was. When we were at home we were to be ourselves, and relax, but how could I? When being myself would only make them hate me. I was a spoiled brat and not even my so-called best friend wanted to deal with me.

So about after a week of Fate and I avoiding each other Alicia actually grabbed me and sat me down for a good talking too. She told me I was making things worse for Fate by avoiding her. If I couldn't handle living with Fate then it was time for me to leave, she'd find me a boarding school and make sure I was taken care of financially but she wasn't going to let me ruin all the psychological gains Fate had made. I freaked even more and begged her not to send me away and broke down. I told her about my guilt and how hard I was trying to be good so they wouldn't send me away. Alicia smacked me right across the head for my stupidity and then hugged me. We talked for a long time, I finally got a chance to really grieve for my family, to let go of my guilt for having been so ugly to them before they died. Then Alicia told me I had a choice. I could confront Fate or I could leave.

Vi, Fate needs to know she is accepted by the people she loves, it's the reason why she pulled away from the Starks and Harlaowns, they never really accepted her as a fully functional person. They've only ever seen a broken little girl who needs to be pitied and protected. Chrono-kun seems to be the exception but he was also the closest to her for years and probably took the time to really get to know her. But we both know why they stopped talking and are only now rebuilding their relationship. So I was faced with the question, would I continue to see her as a victim or as Fate, artist, cousin, fully functional human being who just happened to have had a horrible childhood?

I thought about her scars, about my mother's part in it, and asked Alicia how she dealt with it. Ha, I should have known better. She asked me, 'Deal with what?' so I spelt it out, 'How do you deal with your own guilt?' She just looked at me, didn't try to deny feeling guilty because we both feel guilt even though we had nothing to do with her abuse. The blood of her abuser flows in our veins.

She told me, 'By loving her, by only seeing my sister and not what that evil bitch did to her.' I didn't know if I could deal with the situation the same way but I wanted too so I asked Alicia how I could learn to see only Fate and not the trauma…and she suggested I take a bath with Fate.

I think I may have fainted at the suggestion and then I tried to find a flaw in the plan. Tried to get her to admit to pranking me but she was dead serious so that night after Fate went in to take her bath I followed her in. Well, I waited a bit and once she was soaking in the tub I came over and slid in behind her and hugged her. I…I'd never been naked in front of anyone besides my immediate family and was really self-conscious over the whole thing. I could feel her scars and how she had stiffened at being touched. We just sat there for a minute and I was almost as stiff as her with nerves when she finally spoke. Her voice was shaky and resigned, she told me not to force myself to touch her, that she already knew I thought she was disgusting. God, I felt like a complete piece of slime at that point and started crying. She tried to get out of the bath but I clung on harder at that point and just start spewing all my fears, everything I told Alicia and more. In the end we were both crying and she was holding me like a baby."

Blushing now Einhart clenched her teeth, she had just admitted her most embarrassing and painful memory and felt so stupid, she had always tried her best to be cool and suave around Vivio and now she had just admitted to being awkward and foolish to the girl. Vivio was a better person than her; she had never seen Fate as a victim or weak. That was why the whole situation had affected her so much. Where most would see Fate as damaged, people like Nanoha and Vivio only saw someone who had been tested by fire and had come out stronger. Seeing Fate stumble around like the rest of humanity was hard to see, she should have all the answers, she had looked into the abyss and come back stronger for it.

Vivio thought about what Einhart had told her, having been fed certain expectations and opinions all her life then being dropped into Fate's life like a sack of unwanted flour. It seemed both she and Einhart had more in common than she thought.

Standing up she came up to the green haired girl and laid her hand on her shoulder before speaking softly, "Einhart, no one until Nanoha came along wanted me. Even my grandmother considered me a burden. My own parents ignored me as much as they could, that's why I wasn't with them when they died. You belong to Fate and Alicia, even bad blood is worth something if it can connect you to someone as wonderful as they are."

Then feeling her own insecurities come back she continued, "The reason I'm being so weird is because I have nothing to tie myself to Fate. What have I done to make myself a worthy daughter to her? Nothing...I have a hard enough time trying to make mama proud of me, and I won't mention how many times I've heard mama say Fate is out of her league."

Einhart was struggling to believe anyone could neglect Vivio, someone hadn't wanted the girl? How was that humanly possible? Spinning around she cupped her face to look into defeated jewel like eyes, Einhart tried to encourage her, "Vivio, believe me when I say I can understand not feeling worthy and if Fate ever hears you say it be prepared to be hugged within an inch of your life. She would never want you or Nanoha to feel like you aren't good enough for her. In her mind, the whole reason she's in this funk in fact is because she thinks she's not good enough for you, us, Nanoha, life in general."

Vivio shifted so she could hide her face in Einhart's shoulder then she asked in a muffled voice, "Is she going to leave us?"

Hearing the pain and fear in her girlfriend's voice Einhart pulled Vivio into a tight hug as she spoke into her ear, "Vi, I can guarantee Fate will never leave Nanoha or you for that matter. She fought tooth and nail to protect you both and has given her heart to both of you. You two are her family as much as Alicia and I are, more even in some ways. She's going through a funk right now and I know it hurts like hell to not be able to help but you just have to trust both Fate and your mom to work through this."

Einhart could feel hot tears start to seep through her shirt as Vivio asked in a choked voice, "What if they can't? What if Fate decides we're not worth it? What if she just wants us to go away?"

Vivio's voice broke and she began to sob and shake with the violence of her emotions, for the first time in her life she had everything she had ever wanted: Two parents who love her and support her, a wonderful girlfriend, tons of friends and the freedom to finally just enjoy life without the worry of being taken away from her mother because one of them did something to piss off her grandmother or some other member of the Scrya clan. Uminari City was her home, and the multitude of people she had met since becoming friends with Einhart were all dear to her. If Fate sent them away she'd lose it all, but worst of all she'd lose her mother to the ensuing heartbreak.

Einhart rocked the blonde as she tried to shush and calm her down, murmuring, "Not gonna happen, it will all be alright," it took a while but eventually Vivio hiccupped to a stop and just lay her head on Einhart's shoulder trying to regain control of her breathing.

Taking a steadying breath Vivio whispered, "I know I am being stupid. It's just Fate's actions remind me of Uncle Yuuno, when he stopped pretending to care for mama. He never really treated her the way she deserved but towards the end he just ignored her, us."

Einhart snuggled her in tight as she said earnestly, "Oh Vi, Fate has never once pretended with you or Nanoha. She honestly loves you both. That's why she's being such an idiot. If Cia-chan and I could have snapped her out of this we would have but honestly only your mom can reach her now. And to be blunt about the matter, it won't be all that hard, Fate doesn't want to lose either of you."

Wrinkling her brow Vivio didn't seem all that convinced so Einhart went on, "Seriously Vi, Fate just needs a shock to the system to jump start that brain of hers. She gets like this when she relapses into her abused victim thinking. She doesn't let it happen too often but when it does she needs the people who love her to shake her out of it. Everyone who truly loves Fate has to go through this at least once, she isn't testing us but in a way it is a test."

Looking more hopeful Vivio asked, "You really think mama can reach her?"

Smiling confidently, "I know it! Your mama talked to Cia-chan and has a foolproof plan, by this time Sunday those two will be back to normal."

Vivio asked speculatively, "And what would be this so-called foolproof plan?"

Blushing Einhart looked away and said, "Your mom is taking her to a hot spring retreat and plans on…um confronting her."

Vivio recalling what Einhart had done and knowing her mother's lack of self control when it came to Fate there would only be one result. Fate was about to be devoured. If Fate wanted to escape her mother then she would have to chew an arm off because once Nanoha had her stripped there would be no other escape.

Vivio began to giggle which made Einhart twitch, "It's not funny. I for one don't like thinking too much about what they're going to be up to all weekend."

Taking in Einhart's pout Vivio couldn't help teasing her a little, "Aw poor Ein-chan, there's no reason to feel left out, Fate-san will still support your cousin-fetish. Honestly I can see how that could happen but you really shouldn't have tried to blame Alicia for it. She was only trying to help you connect with Fate."

Einhart immediately looked into her eyes, her own nearly bulging out from the sheer impropriety of the words. Vivio seeing the almost cartoon character like expression on Einhart's face burst out into full laughter before continuing her teasing, "Why is it Ein-chan that Cia-chan thinks a bath will fix everything? Does she have a bathing fetish? I really think she just likes the idea of people running around naked and soapy, she really is a pervert."

Feeling relieved that her girlfriend wasn't treating her like a gross freak and more than willing to join in Alicia bashing she laughed and said, "But at least she's a clean pervert."

Leaning in Vivio asked in her faux sexy voice, "So Ein-chan if you ever get depressed would it make you happy if I bathed with you?"

Face now burning, Einhart usually would have taken to hiding under pillows at this point. She was not as slick and suave as Alicia would have believed when it came to her relationship with Vivio. She was completely enthralled with the girl and daren't do anything that might make her uncomfortable or feel pressured. But she was also a teen aged girl who was getting desperately horny with all the teasing her girlfriend heaped on her.

Licking her lips she leaned in almost kissing Vivio and said in a shaky voice, "I'd be happy anytime you choose to bathe with me, especially if you let me help."

Vivio was now as red as a tomato and suddenly realized they had the entire house to themselves. Her mamas were gone and Alicia had bailed out on them to spend time with Carim. Normally that would have meant staying with her grandparents but Alicia had just winked at them and told them to enjoy having the house to themselves and breezed out the door.

Looking down Vivio could see the swell of Einhart's cleavage, she had removed her school tie and the top three buttons had been undone leaving her with a mouthwatering view. Other than some over the clothes groping and a lot of kissing they hadn't done much. Einhart always stopped them and Vivio was really getting frustrated with that. Was she not attractive enough to do those sorts of things with? The only time she'd seen her girlfriend nude was while at the private baths with their families and that hadn't been exactly the right moment to ogle her.

Swallowing the lump in her throat Vivio said timidly, "I'd like very much to make you happy right now."

Einhart looked her beautiful girlfriend in the eyes and saw she was serious; she then made a squeaking noise and promptly fainted.

~"~"~"~

Vivio looked into the pained face Einhart was now making and touching her face gently she said, "I had no idea you were this shy Ein-chan? To faint over the mere suggestion of bathing, really? Surely someone as popular as you wouldn't have a problem bathing with a friend?"

The red tint on Einhart's face grew deeper, "If I was just bathing with a friend, but I...I love you. And…" sitting up abruptly so she could hide her face she continued muffled by her knees, "And I'm attracted to you. I don't want to push you Vi."

Crawling over and pressing her front into Einhart's back Vivio replied, "I love you too Ein. And I am very attracted to you and to be honest I'm getting frustrated with how things are right now. I feel like sometimes you are only playing at being my girlfriend. You do know that just because Fate and Alicia are lesbians you don't have to be one to please them? They'd love you even if you were heterosexual, look at Caro and Erio, Fate is very supportive of their relationship."

Turning around Einhart caught Vivio by surprise and pressed her down. The blazing look in her mismatched dark eyes made Vivio gasp. Then Einhart was kissing her and it wasn't like any kiss they had shared before, it was hot and needy. The feeling of Einhart's tongue teasing her own and then when she sucked lightly on hers made her groan. Then the glorious mouth was on her neck and greedy hands were undoing her dress shirt. The feeling of Einhart's mouth on her chest for the first time was thrilling and made her arch up begging for more of her touch.

Einhart knew what to do; living with Alicia kind of made it impossible not to know. When she started middle school Alicia sat her down and explained the birds and the bees, with diagrams and props. Fate had been in the room but after she tried to interrupt was promptly kicked out so Einhart could be properly educated. No way was her baby cousin not going to know her way around sex. The frightening thing was she had spent equal time on heterosexual sex, and proper seduction techniques to get the guy she liked. As far as Einhart was aware Alicia had never had a boyfriend so how did she know these things?

But this wasn't a hypothetical lover anymore, nor was it one of her increasingly vivid dreams. She was with Vivio the most beautiful and amazing person she'd ever been blessed to meet. More than she had ever wanted to impress Fate she wanted Vivio to see her as a worthy partner, to satisfy her every desire. As daring as she was being her hands dared not pass the unspoken border, she'd never even groped her girlfriend's behind out of fear of being slapped then dumped. But she had been sorely tempted, how many times had the girl almost purposely put her cute derriere on display? And now said cute girl was actually rolling her hips up into her and grinding on her, surely this wasn't a trap to get her into trouble? Ugh, no, it didn't matter it was way too soon for them to be doing anything like _that_ yet!

Pulling back from the sweet skin of Vivio's stomach where she was leaving a love bite on a sensitive patch of skin Einhart spoke in a voice thick with desire, "Vi we have to stop. If we continue I won't be able to stop."

Vivio was finding the sultry voice Einhart was using incredibly erotic and was determined to ignore her warning. They couldn't stop now, sure they had progressed but she hadn't gotten to see Einhart, hadn't gotten to taste and tease her.

Sitting up so Einhart was now sitting on her lap Vivio was finding the change empowering and caught her girlfriend by the back of her neck to kiss her. The lascivious kiss had Einhart shuddering especially when it was coupled with Vivio's other hand groping and teasing her over her shirt. At that moment Vivio wanted nothing more than to lose the damned shirt blocking her from Einhart's heavenly body. Reaching for the bottom of the shirt and yanking on it allowed the green haired girl to feel a chill and balk. Grabbing Vivio's hand she pulled back and pleaded, "Vi please we have to stop I'm going to go crazy if we go any further then have to stop."

The blonde pouted, "I want to see you Ein-chan, you got to touch me, I've been dying to see all of you and touch you, please."

The evil use of puppy eyes and pouting lips meant Einhart was ready to give her girlfriend anything she wanted. If Vivio knew what kind of power she was playing with she might have been utterly corrupted. Instead, fearful of being rejected she took what was given with all the gratitude a supplicant gives to their generous benefactor.

Once Einhart shed her dress shirt a plain white cotton sports bra was exposed, fearing she was disappointing Vivio she apologized. "Sorry, I know it's not very appealing. I didn't change back after gym since we didn't do much today and I was feeling lazy. Ah hell Vi, I probably stink, let me talk a bath before we go any further, I don't want you to hate me."

As far as Vivio could tell Einhart smelled great, if there was even the slightest hint of muskiness from sweat it was adding to her hormone driven lust. Looking at her girlfriend in just her sports bra was more than she had honestly hoped for, the fact that Einhart was willing to further disrobe and possibly let her touch her was an opportunity she was going to grasp with both hands joyfully. The devil on her shoulder urged her on, suggesting she take Alicia's instructions to heart and _enjoy_ having the house to themselves. Then it immediately offered her an evil plan to maximize their _enjoyment_ , once it solidified in her mind it was impossible to resist. The only problem Vivio had with her internal demon was it came in the form of her mom. The demon pointing out how cute and innocent Einhart was just like Fate and how it'd be horrible to let anyone else beat her to the treasure probably meant someday she was going to need therapy.

Smiling and keeping her voice light she said, "Of course Ein-chan, I want you to be comfortable."

The green haired girl blushed and excused herself which should have left Vivio time to argue with her demon but instead she was just refining the plan. Keeping in mind Einhart's shyness she had conceded to letting her girlfriend take a bath. After all if she was in the bath she'd be naked, less work for her. Carefully listening for the sound of water Vivio used her imagination to picture Einhart going through each stage of preparing the bath. In her mind's eye she finished striping down and sat down. The sound of the handheld shower head coming on let her know it was now or...well some other day far in the future…hopefully…maybe…hell it might be never, time to move it!

Quickly striping down she swallowed hard and opened the bathroom door. Einhart had just started washing her hair and nearly blinded herself with shampoo when Vivio walked in. Blinking the suds away just in time as she fell back off her stool. Landing hard on her backside she could only curse her life, she finally gets her girlfriend alone for the weekend and she decides it's time to reveal how truly lame she really is. Lucky for her Vivio wasn't superficial and was already well aware her girlfriend was a dork; it was Einhart's goofy childlike nature that made her love the girl as much as she did.

It's a well known fact one should not run in the bathroom, but worried for Einhart, Vivio rushed over and slipped. Perhaps the gods were teasing the girls because just as Vivio crouched she lost her balance and fell forward into a soapy and only barely balanced Einhart sending them sprawling backwards with Einhart's face planted in Vivio's cleavage. Groaning into her fleshy prison at first she wasn't quite sure what was going on but when she moved her head and rubbed the sensitive mound with her soft cheek Vivio let out a surprised but pleased squeak.

Leaning back Einhart got an eyeful of perfect breasts on display; if she had been older and wiser she would have leaned back in and set back to work on a pouting pink nipple. Instead being a respectful and inexperienced girl she tried to help her girlfriend sit back up and refrained as much as possible from staring. Vivio was a bit disappointed but couldn't help enjoying the pink tint to Einhart's face or the sleek body of her girlfriend now on display. Einhart was a little over 3cms taller than her and while her shoulders were a bit wider their hips were about the same. With her wider shoulders came fuller breasts and considering Vivio's love of hugs she had been dying to experience them up close and personal for a while.

Sighing at Vivio's impetuousness, "Vivio, I was going to come straight out once I got cleaned up, you didn't have to follow me in here. You could have been hurt."

Now feeling guilty Vivio sat back and kept would-be wayward hands tightly clasped in her lap. Head bowed she apologized, "I'm sorry Ein-chan, I just couldn't wait. You're so beautiful I was worried you might change your mind and then I might never get a chance to see you."

Scooting closer Einhart tipped her cutie blonde's face up and saw she was just as nervous over this as she was, but was at least being braver and more outspoken about what she wanted. Well, she was a Takamachi, never let it be said a Takamachi woman hides her desires. Laughing softly Einhart said, "You are so much like your mom sometimes it's scary."

Vivio pouted, "This is really not the time to compare me to my mom Ein!"

Violet and blue twinkled with mischief, "Well you shouldn't act like her, all full power, full throttle, it's no wonder Fate fell for her, it's your liveliness that makes both you and your mom so irresistible. From the first time I laid eyes on you through the school window I thought you were beautiful, but once I actually spoke to you I found myself hooked."

Looking into Einhart's eyes Vivio could see love and desire slowly replacing the mischievous gleam and taking that as a good sign she asked, "Since I'm already in here and all, would it be alright if…if I took a bath with you? I really want to be with you Einhart. The way mama describes her feelings for Fate is exactly how I feel for you. I know we're young but I don't see myself ever wanting to be with anyone but you."

Einhart's heart did a flip at these words, Vivio had told her she loved her many times but honestly how could she be sure? Neither of them had any experience in romance or relationships, but then again neither did their best role models and they were doing fine. Einhart knew what she felt for Vivio was worlds different from what she had felt for her former crushes, the fact that Vivio knew her real self and still liked her meant more to her than words could describe.

Scooting the final few inches that separated them Einhart took Vivio's hands and swallowing her trepidation said, "I really want to be with you too. I love you Vivio. My dream is one day, if you'll have me, is to marry you and make a family with you. It sometimes scares me how much power you have over me, I'd do anything for you, give you anything you asked of me. Like you said we're young but love isn't restricted by age, so if you want me I'm all yours."

Smiling brilliantly Vivio leaned in and kissed her lover passionately then the pair spent the next hour exploring each other carefully as they helped each other bathe. Soaking in the tub they cuddled together happily as they relaxed. Both silently agreed not to go all the way yet, there was plenty of time for that in the future. Both knew the time for the next step was coming but just knowing that they wanted the same thing and were moving towards that goal satisfied them both.

~"~"~"~

Carim was talking with her receptionist when Nanoha and Fate arrived for their appointment. She was still slightly concerned for the couple, the psychological abuse Fate had received was clearly more significant than either sister had admitted, would Nanoha be able to pull Fate out of the slump she'd last seen her in?

A laughing voice chastising someone was heard before the couple was seen. Fate's smile was unrepentantly loving and teasing, her eyes warm and no longer fearful. Alicia was shocked by the complete turnaround, she had been expecting the pair to come in with Fate plastered to Nanoha and growling at shadows. Fate seeing Carim did shift closer to Nanoha with an arm loosely wrapped around her, clearly giving support as much as she was drawing it. This more resolute and confident Fate was more like the woman who had first suggested this process. Carim was happy to see her again as she could be more rational than the one she'd been dealing with recently.

Smiling at the pair Carim greeted them and invited them directly to her office to discuss the results in comfort. They followed happily enough but Carim suspected she'd see some of Fate's nerves return once they got into the examination room. When they took their seats Carim wasn't surprised to see Nanoha pull her chair to be as close as possible to Fate but that she was suddenly the one looking vulnerable left her concerned. Was neither of them really emotionally stable enough for all this? Fate cradled Nanoha's hand in her own and kept a hawk eye on Nanoha which seemed to rock Nanoha out of her cloud of worries and finally smile more confidently back. Carim felt one of her eyes beginning to want to twitch, Alicia was right, they were idiots. Both women had serious hang-ups but once the one saw the other needed support all those hang-ups went right out the window.

Clearing her throat she decided to get the show on the road, they weren't paying her by the hour after all, "Fate-san, Nanoha-san you will be happy to know upon examination we were able to find nine healthy eggs from each of you for possible compilation. Unfortunately one set failed and was damaged during the process. Once compilation was achieved I then did the SCNT where unfortunately one set was exposed too much electricity stressing the egg and it failed to develop. That was the first time I've used my device and unfortunately I was still needed to work out some issues. Once I made some tweaks to the device I was able to successfully achieve cell fusion with all remaining pairs. We have allowed the resulting eggs to grow so we could test for any genetic disorders or any other issues, as of last night all appear healthy and strong. We now have seven possible blastocysts for you to choose from."

Carim then handed the pair a folder with screen shots of the microscopic bundles of cells that could potentially be their children, under each picture was a small description of what the child would likely look like and any genetic predisposition health concerns. Swallowing hard Fate read each description out loud as Nanoha was shaking too hard to see clearly. The images of potential children had her whole body shaking with excitement, she was ready to scream all of them but that wouldn't be safe or practical.

FTNT1. Eye Color: Blue. Hair Color: Blonde. Height Avg: 165-170cm. Health Predispositions: Myopia.

FTNT2. Eye Color: Red. Hair Color: Brown. Height Avg: 170-175cm. Health Predispositions: Hyperopia.

FTNT3. Eye Color: Blue. Hair Color: Brown. Height Avg: 155-160cm. Health Predispositions: N/A.

FTNT4. Eye Color: Blue. Hair Color: Black. Height Avg: 165-170cm. Health Predispositions: Myopia.

FTNT5. Eye Color: Red. Hair Color: Black. Height Avg: 165-170cm. Health Predispositions: Hyperopia.

FTNT6. Eye Color: Green. Hair Color: Brown. Height Avg: 155-160cm. Health Predispositions: Hyperopic astigmatism.

FTNT7. Eye Color: Violet. Hair Color: Purple. Height Avg: 170-175cm. Health Predispositions: N/A

When Fate got to the last description her voice got softer and she started to shake, it wasn't from excitement. Nanoha took that sheet out of her hand placed it face down on Carim's desk long with the print out for FTNT6.

Both blondes looked at Nanoha questioningly to which she replied, "I would not feel comfortable carrying either of these blastocysts. I am thankful Carim was able to create so many, if they had been our only choices then Fate-chan and I would have had to discuss whether we wanted to continue with this process."

Fate thought about the blastocyst description for FTNT6 and couldn't really see why Nanoha was rejecting that one; she'd be a brown haired Miyuki. Squeezing Nanoha's hand Fate asked, "Love I accept your decision but I was just wondering why?"

Brows knitted as Nanoha looked at her wife in disbelief, "She'd look just like a child that could have resulted from my marriage with Yuuno! I want a child that's a physical mix of us."

Fate's eye flew open at that thought, a child people thought belonged to that…that male?! Pulling Nanoha out of her chair she settled her in her lap and spoke possessively into her ear, "These will be our babies, that man and his so-called family will never be associated with them, not even as a joke or by confusion. When people see them they will know our girls belong to us."

Carim was slightly distracted by taking a photo of the pair, Alicia had insisted if (when) her sister took Nanoha onto her lap that it be memorialized for everyone else to see. Nanoha seeing her playing with her phone as she sent the image to Alicia asked in a sing-song voice, "Oh Carim-sensei, you wouldn't be breaking your Hippocratic Oath by sending photos without our permission, would you?"

Caught the elder blonde laughed weakly, "Alicia…she asked…"

The wicked gleam in Nanoha's eyes had Carim trailing off in fear only for Fate to save her from god only knew what horrific punishment Nanoha was plotting. Nuzzling the terrifying little devil Fate seemed to be oblivious to the fact that Nanoha was so dangerous. Then Fate proved why she was immune, "We still need Carim-sensei love, but my sister is completely eligible for punishment. And seeing how obsessed Carim-sensei is with my idiot sister seeing her suffer should teach them both to behave in the future." Then turning to face Carim Fate said, "If you are done playing spymaster maybe we can get back to deciding which blastocysts we are going to attempt implantation with?"

Fate felt bad about harping on Carim, they had been the ones to get _sidetracked_ as it were but she really shouldn't have been taking photos. Now Nanoha needed to be placated, she hated the idea of people getting cute photos of Fate, especially when they wouldn't share them with her. Alicia was notorious for this, showing her photos of Fate, usually of her completely oblivious to the world working on something which apparently equated to looking adorable for Nanoha, then snatching her phone or the photo away from her. The games of keep away could go on for hours, with Nanoha fake surrendering only to pounce on Alicia later to snatch the treasure from her grip.

Straightening in her chair Carim said, "Right, so samples 6 and 7 are off the table as you just said you wanted to emphasis your physical resemblance with the children so 4 and 5 might not be best. Would you like to try implant each blastocyst separately or do all of them at once?"

Nanoha looked from Fate to Carim and asked, "What gives us the best chances at success?"

Carim chewed her lip for a minute as she thought over the situation for the pair then suggested, "As I am not entirely sure how effective the fertility drugs will be in helping you keep the blastocyst I'd like to use one the first time. If you catch then great, if not then we still have two more chances. I can change up some of the hormones I have you on and we can try again the following month."

Agreeing with this suggestion Nanoha nodded. Fate nodded also but asked, "So which one do we use for the first shot?"

~"~"~"~

Twenty minutes later Fate was driving Nanoha carefully home. She took the smoothest route and when they got home she actually carried her to bed. Nothing was to jolt her for the next twenty-four at the very least and Fate would ensure that. When the teens came home Fate explained in painful detail that neither was to jostle Nanoha as to do so could cause the delicately placed blastocyst to come loose and end the pregnancy before it even really began.

Vivio didn't even come near the bed too scared of her sometimes clumsy nature to risk it but blew her mother kisses and had Einhart give her an extra hug for her. The incredibly nervous green haired girl treated Nanoha as if she was made of spun sugar and the hugs could be barely considered a soft brushing of bodies and a pat on the shoulder. Nanoha would have been annoyed with her family's behavior if she wasn't equally terrified of doing something to dislodge the blastocyst. She only put her foot down when Fate grabbed her pillow and a blanket to sleep on the couch so as to not risk jostling Nanoha in her sleep.

The sharp cry of, "Fate-chan!" had the blonde spinning on her heel and ready to serve.

Reaching out to the blonde Nanoha pulled her down carefully beside her and said worriedly, "I won't lose you over this Fate-chan. I need to feel you snuggled next to me at night."

Running her hand through Nanoha's hair and placing soft kisses on her cheek and lips Fate reassured Nanoha before whispering, "I hate sleeping without you mio amore but to give this the best shot I really should sleep on the couch. It will be for only one night and you better believe I'll be making up for this lack tomorrow. I am going to snuggle and cuddle you all day. The code of conduct at work can take a flying leap."

Nanoha giggled at bit at this and reprimanded her wife teasingly, "Naughty Fate-chan, you know we can't do that. I'd never get any work done with you snuggled up behind me, touching me. We'd be fired before the coffee finished brewing in the break room."

Kissing Nanoha's temple and ear Fate replied, "It'd be worth it."

Shaking her head Nanoha pulled away and groaned, "You are trying to drive me crazy aren't you Fate-chan?! We can't have sex and you are teasing me horribly!"

Standing up and hugging her pillow Fate replied with her hurt puppy eyes pleading for forgiveness, "I didn't mean to, but I can't help it. Nanoha is so beautiful and sexy. And now you may be carrying our baby and I just want to love you so much right now."

Closing her eyes in hopes of salvaging what little strength she had Nanoha pointed to the door and said, "Couch."

~"~"~"~

It was all for naught, a few weeks later when Nanoha's period started she cried herself into exhaustion. Fate held her tightly and whispered words of love and devotion. They sought out Carim and the medications were changed up and they planned for the next attempt. When the time came Fate suggested they try to implant both of the remaining preferred blastocysts. When asked why she said she had a dream about twins; whether the dream was a premonition or not Nanoha took it as a sign of good luck and agreed.

When they got home once again Fate had her quarantined from others until bedtime came around. Instead of exiling herself to the couch again Fate crawled carefully onto the bed making Nanoha look at her in surprise.

"Fate-chan what are you doing?"

Pulling out a bottle of massaging oil from her robe pocket she laid it down and presented her proposal, "Nanoha, I want our babies to know they are wanted. I want to give them the strength to be strong and stick with us. So I am going to give you a gentle massage and talk to them for a little bit, then we are going to go to sleep. I am going to hold you all night and make sure nothing hurts you or our babies."

Smiling fondly at her wife Nanoha told her, "You don't have to do this love. Carim said this time everything looked great, she puts our chances at 75% or better. I just need to sit still and give them the time to settle in."

Looking down at the prone form of her wife Fate replied, "I know I don't have to do this Nanoha but I want them to feel they are loved and wanted. I want them to feel how much I love you and that we want them to be part of our lives. So will you let me do this?"

In answer Nanoha carefully pulled off her nightshirt. The sight of Nanoha nearly nude made Fate's heart rate speed up a bit and her senses all sharpened and zoned in on the woman before her. Cautiously Fate rearranged them on the bed and began the gentle massage. The tender touch on her sensitive skin made it difficult for Nanoha to think straight. When she felt Fate's lips on her stomach kissing her and whispering to what were nothing but a couple of balls of cells and a dream it almost made her cry. After the relaxing massage she slid back into her nightshirt and found herself snuggled into Fate. Using the blonde's full breasts as a pillow Nanoha soon fell into a slumber as a gentle hand played with her hair.

Each following day Fate did the same thing emphasizing her dedication, love and want for the family growing within her, though the massage often lead to more fulfilling activities. Laying snuggled in Fate's arms each night Nanoha honestly felt like she was going to be spoiled by all this. Turning her head she placed a kiss on Fate's jaw and called out to the dozing blonde. Humming to show she was listening but her dark eyes stayed closed making Nanoha want to pout, she loved Fate's eyes so much.

"Fate-chan, what will happen after the babies are born?"

Rubbing her cheek against Nanoha's Fate answered groggily, "What do you mean mio amore?"

Snuffling a little as she shifted in Fate's arms Nanoha asked, "Will we still sleep like this? Will you still do all the things you've been doing for me?"

Opening her eyes Fate took in her wife's slightly flushed face and felt a flutter of arousal, god help her she was addicted to Nanoha, kissing her cheek Fate asked, "Do you want me to?"

Then she shifted and pushed Nanoha down gently. Kissing her softly between her words, "Would you like me to continue to hold you like I have at night? I'd very much like too. Do you want me to continue massaging you? I really hope you let me continue, I love touching you. Will I continue to spoil you? Yes, I think I will; you and our children. I want to shower you with my love. I want our children to think we are silly lovebirds and never question whether we love each other or them."

As they kissed fervently Nanoha enjoyed the peace of knowing she was loved so well. But…what if?

Pulling back Nanoha asked the question that haunted the back of her mind, "What if I start my period tomorrow and there are no babies?"

Pressing their foreheads together Fate said, "Then we have to decide if we want to try again with the last two blastocysts or if we want to try another extraction. Or if we just want to stop. I won't force you to continue if you don't want to deal with this stress all over again. God knows I'm really not looking forward to going through all that again in a few years if this is successful and we decide to have more children."

"So if this is successful you still want to go through with it yourself later?"

"Only if you want more kids at that point, none, one or a dozen, it doesn't matter, you and Vivio are my family now, and how much bigger it gets will be something we work on together."

"Fate-chan if this fails then I want us to try with the last two blastocysts but I want you to try and carry them."

Confused Fate looked Nanoha in the eyes trying to get a clue on why the sudden turn around on who would carry their first child. Nanoha had been so insistent she be the first. Seeing Fate's confusion Nanoha tipped her head and kissed her quickly before answering.

"I think I might be stressing out too much. You have been wonderful in helping me relax but stress isn't conducive for pregnancy. So if this is a failure then I think it'd be best if you try."

Fate thought about and said, "No."

"Wh…why not?"

"You said you needed to do this, be the one to carry our first child because you need to move on from your miscarriage. To help you reclaim that part of your womanhood. Me getting pregnant after you failed wouldn't be a good thing. I love you Nanoha, I want us to have a family but not at the expense of either of ours mental health."

Nanoha reached between them and touched Fate's scarred stomach and fingering one of the ridges as she said, "It wouldn't hurt me Fate-chan. My biggest fear was never having a family, never finding a place where I belong," kissing Fate as emphasis, "I already have everything I could ever want within you. If you gave birth to our child it would just further prove how much a goddess you are to me."

The disapproving sounding, "Nanoha!" made the auburn haired woman laugh.

Rubbing their noses together lightly as she spoke Nanoha continued to tease, "What? In my experience one worships a goddess then petitions her to help you or grant your wish. Worshiping you has always been quite enjoyable for me, and I must say I have been very pleased with my goddess' response to all my pleas."

Shaking her head Fate sighed, "You are such a heathen my love, how you could ever see divinity in someone like me is beyond my comprehension."

"I know you are not a goddess Fate-chan, but the amount of happiness and love you've brought into my life is beyond anything, any deity I've come across has ever done. As for divinity, I'm pretty sure you have more divine spirit in your little finger than a lot of those snake charming evangelicals on the television have in their whole bodies."

Sitting up Fate laid a hand over the flat of Nanoha's stomach and with every drop of hope and force of will within her she said, "Grow."

~"~"~"~

Three days later and Nanoha still hadn't started her menstrual cycle making a trip to Carim's office a necessity as she was too scared to take any chances with a store bought pregnancy test. Waiting for the results Nanoha paced the floor as Fate watched her every move. Fate had grown even more possessive as each day had passed, instinctively she was now guarding over her unborn family. When Carim came back with a smile and waving the print out Nanoha screamed, "Yes!" and tackled Fate who was instantly on her feet. Swinging Nanoha around gently as she kissed her in celebration.

"Ladies, if you will follow me, we can check on Nanoha's health and progress."

Fate shepherded Nanoha to the examination room immediately making Carim laugh and Nanoha roll her eyes. Fate was going to take the meaning of overprotective to a whole new level.

Laying down on the examination table Carim took her vitals and asked her a few questions then had her raise her shirt and lower her pants to expose her flat stomach. A cold gel was soon spread across her abdomen and then Carim was rubbing the ultrasound probe across her stomach searching for the tadpole like beings who would now be residing inside her. Finding one, "Okay there's Miss TNT3," and snapped a quick photo of her before beginning to search for her sister. Carim was about to give up when a small flutter gave it away, digging into Nanoha's side rather roughly Carim was able to capture a pretty good photo of Miss TNT2.

"Well Ladies, it appears you are going to have twins after all, though I want to be there when you explain why there's such a disparity in their heights," Carim declared with a laugh.

Fate was staring at the look of wonder on Nanoha's face, the full impact of motherhood hadn't quite hit her yet as she was drunk on Nanoha's happiness. The blitzed out happiness the auburn haired woman was radiating was likely to have Fate walking into walls watching her. Printing out the sonograms she handed them to Nanoha, the first in what was likely to be an extensive collection of photos documenting the lives of two greatly loved children.

Carim commented to Nanoha in what could only be considered a stage whisper, "It might be best if you drive home Nanoha, Fate-san seems a little dazed."

The completely oblivious Fate missed the comment as she was still zoned in on Nanoha and her glowing presence. Seeing how out of it her wife was, made Nanoha smile even wider, Carim feared Fate was going to explode like an overexcited puppy. Thanking Carim for her assistance and arranging her next appointment Nanoha then led Fate out of the office. The drive home was done in a daze, Fate couldn't stop looking at Nanoha who was smiling and making kissy faces at her.

Everyone was sitting on the couch waiting for the news (officially because no way Carim would take pictures of Fate and Nanoha canoodling in her office) the bright grins on the couple's faces made it clear they were still sky high in happiness over the news. Alicia hugged Nanoha and passed her over to Vivio and Einhart who both were in awe of the miraculous feat. Both were too young to consider going through the process themselves but the success of this venture gave greater hope to their future dreams.

Fate sat at the table with her sister who was looking at the sonograms. The elder twin frowned as she looked at what appeared to be just a grainy photo of blobs. Fate leaned over and with her eye for detail pointed out the small life forms and was suddenly hit all at once with the realization she was going to be a parent. She went white as fear for their tiny lives filled her, then started to shake, oh god there was so much that needed to be done. She tried to stand and her legs gave out and she collapsed back into her chair weakly.

Seeing her wife go from beaming happiness to a pale shaking mess made Nanoha flash over to her side. Catching hold of Fate who was now making lists in her head only to snap out of it when Nanoha appeared before her. Taking hold of her she pulled her down onto her lap and said distractedly, "You shouldn't be standing up, you need rest…need to stay safe."

Fate could normally handle multiple lines of thinking but she was now just a jumble with fear, fear for Nanoha and their babies' health, fear for their safety, fear of the future with all its uncertainty. Holding tight to Nanoha seemed like the only thing she could do in assure herself it was all going to be alright.

Laughing demonically Alicia put her hand out to Einhart and said, "Pay up runt! I told you she'd freak out. Her happy Nanoha trance finally broke and now she'll be in her rawr mode permanently."

Rolling her eyes Einhart dug out her cash and handed over a few bills looking disgruntled. Nanoha seeing this narrowed her eyes at Alicia and said dangerously, "I really don't think this is a laughing matter Alicia, nor should you be betting. Now if you all will excuse us I need to snap Fate-chan out of her, what did you call it? Rawr mode?"

Standing up was a bit difficult but eventually Nanoha had Fate trailing after her up to their bedroom. Alicia snorted quietly, "Good luck, Fate-chan will have Nano-chan wrapped in bubble wrap before the day is through."

Einhart shook her head and said, "Will I for one think it's time to get out of here, there's about a 99.999% chance those two are going to be getting noisy and I for one don't want to be here to hear it."

Vivio was already walking to the door with a faint blush at this remark which meant Alicia couldn't help but tease the teens, "You seemed to be in a hurry to get out of here Vi-chan, hoping to find a quiet place to make some noise of your own with this little dork?"

Einhart flushed scarlet but Vivio rose to the occasion and said, "What Ein-chan and I do in private is none of your concern. But I must say thank you for your in depth Sex Ed. talk you gave her."

Alicia choked and Einhart looked ready to faint but Vivio with a large Takamachi smile just hooked her arm with Einhart's and dragged her away.

~"~"~"~

Thanks for reading, please review as it keeps the muse fed. Hope to be back soon with a fun update!


	19. Chapter 19: All's Fair In Love and War

A/N: I know I failed to post this when I said I would and I apologize. I had three different starts to this chapter and just couldn't get into the groove. Then bam life happened and a plot bunny sprang up and mauled me. I do hope people enjoyed Ragged, I spent two days working on it as my muse refused to let me work on this until that was typed out.

Big thanks to CrazyLikeArt once more for the Italian translation and Kurra for checking for errors, any left are all my own.

Disclaimer: I do not own MGLN or any of its characters; I make no profit from my stories.

~"~"~"~

Chapter 19: All's Fair In Love and War

Fate wasn't amused with Nanoha's less than serious attitude to her pregnancy; it was her job to protect Nanoha and their babies. True Nanoha could take care of herself but accidents could happen, illness, or some other catastrophe and then what? Fate needed to be right by her side, if anything was going to hurt her it was going to have to get through her first.

Nanoha pushed her wife down on the bed and started what she thought would be a good exercise in distraction. She only got to the second button when Fate freaked out and pulled her down to hold her tight thinking, 'damn it woman don't you know how unsafe that could be?!'

At first Nanoha didn't know what to think about the desperate hug then when she realized Fate was actually preventing her from engaging in her matrimonial rights her rampaging pregnancy hormones kicked in and she jerked out of the grasp.

Glaring down on her wife Nanoha sat on Fate's hips and said, "Fate-chan, I really hope you don't think you are going to restrict our sex life. If so then you are going to be in a world of trouble!"

Fate looked up at her most precious being and said pleadingly, "Mio amore it's dangerous for you and the babies, what if I hurt you? What if we overdo it and something happens?"

Nanoha didn't know whether to laugh or cry but settled on leaning over and kissing her wife then replying, "Are you really likely to get out of hand? Even at your most aggressive Fate-chan you've never hurt me. All you've ever done is made me feel loved. Besides up until this morning you didn't seem to have any issues with us having sex."

Blushing Fate murmured, "It was different then."

Suspecting her wife had some silly misconception in her head Nanoha asked, "How was it different?"

Fate tried to roll out from under Nanoha but was trapped between two strong thighs, sighing in defeat she admitted, "Before I wasn't hundred percent sure you were pregnant and just wanted to give you my love. I really wasn't thinking about there being others inside you. Now that I know they're there doesn't it seem wrong to do that sort of thing…what if they hear us and get traumatized by it?"

Nanoha had to cover her face with her hands to cover the amused smile and choke back the giggles wanting to escape. Fate could still see Nanoha's bemusement with her and pouted, "This isn't funny Nanoha! I want our children to grow up normal, well as normal as any child of mine can…"

Hearing the last Nanoha's amusement died and she gave Fate a stony look, "Fate, our babies will be fine. But I won't be if you don't take care of me properly, I still need your love as much as I did yesterday. Not just you hovering over me either, I need to feel you," then she gave her wife a lecherous grin and leaned in again and whispered, "Taste you."

Fate groaned and before she knew what was happening the White Devil had taken away all her thoughts of abstinence. A few hours later they woke up from their nap by the sound of Vivio coming home loudly, her polite way of saying please stop whatever you're doing. The girl had heard enough during their engagement to know her mother had a very healthy sexual appetite and that Fate was most definitely the uke in the relationship. There really was no need for them to further scar her with their rabbitness.

Rubbing her cheek against Fate's arm and enjoying the feeling of the gentle embrace that kept her close to her beloved Nanoha yawned. This cat-like behavior made Fate smile and pull her in a bit tighter and with one hand on her stomach and the other cupping one of her wife's breasts she then buried her face in Nanoha's hair and whispered, "You do know we can't keep doing that?"

Nanoha turned over and looked her wife in the eyes, "Can't do what?"

Fate's breath hitched at the dangerous gleam in Nanoha's sapphire eyes but preserved, "We can't just go at it like there isn't someone else sharing your body now. Nanoha, I am not saying we can't have sex but we need to be restraint."

Chewing her lip as she considered Fate's stance then coming to her own conclusion Nanoha declared, "If Fate-chan means to play hard to get then I have no problem seducing you…" then working the guilt card Nanoha dropped her eyes in mock despair and said, "but maybe Fate-chan no longer finds me attractive, soon I will be getting fat and…"

Knowing Nanoha was using trickery but not able to ignore the even the hint of self doubt Nanoha was shelling out Fate tipped her face back up and kissed her hard before saying, "You know you are the most beautiful woman in the world. When you get bigger that's not going to change, if anything you'll be even more beautiful to me."

Laying a hand on Nanoha's stomach she rubbed it gently and went on, "I love you. I never imaged there could be someone like you in the world. You not only let me dream Nanoha but you make those dreams come true. Please don't tease me too much mio amore, don't fight me when I want to protect you or help you. You and now these babies inside you deserve the best care I can provide."

Smiling at the touch and loving concern Nanoha cupped Fate's face and told her, "I fully intend to enjoy you spoiling me love but I need you to remember I'm not made out of glass. Our babies are healthy and strong, it'll be alright for me to carry on as normal."

Fate frowned at that and rolling her eyes Nanoha conceded, "Ok, you can do all the heavy lifting and that includes helping me out of chairs once I start getting big."

Kissing Nanoha's palm Fate huffed a small laugh then negotiated, "I get all doors, and anything above your head also."

Laughing now openly at Fate's silliness Nanoha conceded, "Okay we have a deal. But I reserve the right to renegotiate if I find you getting out of hand, understand me? We are still partners, I don't mind being pampered but I won't be treated as if I am a helpless child."

The noncommittal hum Fate gave was probably the best she was going to get at the moment then she remembered her reaction downstairs, Nanoha asked, "What freaked you out so much downstairs?"

Settling back and pulling Nanoha onto her Fate sighed when their breasts pressed comfortably together then said, "It just overwhelmed me. Everything we need to do to get ready for them. The nursery, learning how to take proper care of babies, making sure their future is secure financially, wondering how to keep unsuitable suitors away from them, fear of them getting hurt or kidnapped since I know they're going to be the cutest babies on earth and everyone will want them."

Kissing Fate lightly on the lips then down her cheek and neck Nanoha smiled into the hollow as she spoke between kisses, "You are so silly. We have plenty of time. And as for unsuitable suitors I don't think that will be a problem, Fate-chan can be very scary. Any future boy or girl friend would have to be crazy to even try to hurt them."

Fate knew she was being humored, "Hmm I was actually more worried about you getting out of hand and us running out of places to hide the bodies."

Nanoha bit her wife's collar bone gently for that tease making Fate shiver and moan. Rising up on her arms Nanoha looked down with an arched brow which showed she was more amused than angry but that Fate was getting very close to the edge.

Making puppy eyes at her wife Fate pleaded, "Ti amo mio piccolo dolce diavolo bianco." [ _I love you my sweet little white devil.]_

Down the hall from this death defying madness a young girl tried to sleep. Having relaxed and near slumber she was jolted upright when the sound of screaming laughter filled the house. Groaning Vivio crawled out of her bed and put on her robe and slippers. Grabbing her _emergency_ bag she left the house and crossed the street to the slightly less insane household of her girlfriend and new aunt.

~"~"~"~

The next morning Nanoha had a smug look on her face and Fate was sitting chastised in her seat. Vivio and Einhart migrated over to the Takamachi household for breakfast leaving Alicia to either follow or fend for herself. The teens took in the atmosphere and smirked, oh yeah things were looking up. After breakfast Nanoha and Fate kissed the teens good bye and headed out to work.

Einhart leaned back in her chair and asked, "Do you think they got any sleep last night?"

Vivio rolled her eyes and said, "I'm sure they did, I don't think they did much more than goof around a little after I left but I wasn't going to risk my virgin ears being traumatized."

Smirking at her girlfriend Einhart said questioningly, "Like mother like daughter?"

The unamused blonde threw her napkin at the teasing girl, huffing she said, "I had to do something to clear my mind if I didn't want to have nightmares or weird dreams. You should be thankful I even considered applying to you for help."

Einhart got up and wrapped her arms around Vivio and kissed her cheek, "I am always happy to assist you. You know it would kill me if you ever sought anyone else out."

Her annoyance fading Vivio kissed her girlfriend's cheek and replied, "Well I nearly have you housebroken it'd be a waste to try and replace you now."

The sound of squealing laughter resonated throughout the Takamachi house once more. Life truly was looking up for the small family.

~"~"~"~

Fate was working hard at her computer and was in the zone; unfortunately it was at this moment that Nanoha's breakfast decided to revisit her thanks to her nascent morning sickness. The sound of Nanoha groaning then losing her meal had Fate snapping up and over to her side like lightning. Holding her wife tenderly Nanoha let out a groaning, "Oh, I don't like this."

Not really knowing what else to do Fate asked, "Do you want to go home? I can handle things here."

Shaking her head Nanoha replied weakly, "No, I'll be fine. I just need to clean my mouth out and get a drink of water. Most of the nausea has passed already."

Helping Nanoha to the bathroom to rinse out her mouth then she made sure she was seated comfortably again before going to find her something better than tap water to sooth her stomach. Five minutes later she had returned with a handful of cracker packets and a ginger ale from the vending machine. Nanoha frowned at the crackers not wanting to know how long they had been in the break room.

Smiling Fate said, "They're pretty fresh, Nico-san gave them to me, she had a salad yesterday. We'll stop on the way home tonight and get you a box of crackers and a couple of other things to help."

Agreeing to this Nanoha peeled open a packet and munched the cracker and had to admit she did feel better between the snack and her drink. As the day progressed Fate found she couldn't get into the flow of work again worried that each noise or twitch on Nanoha's part was the first sign of something worse than morning sickness. By the time they got home Fate was half leading half carrying Nanoha into the house and had her laying down and promising not to move until she returned. Nanoha honestly wanted to argue but felt suddenly tired and weak.

When Fate got home with the supplies she placed everything where it'd be easily accessible then checked on Nanoha who was napping. Touching her forehead lightly to check for fever she was glad to find she felt normal. The soft touch woke Nanoha and drowsy sapphire eyes took in the concerned look on Fate's face.

Reaching out to reassure Fate Nanoha said, "I'm okay Fate-chan, I promise. This is completely normal; I've been getting tired more easily for the last couple days and even slightly nauseous. Being sick this morning just took a little bit out of me."

"Why didn't you tell me you were feeling bad?" Fate asked slightly hurt.

Twitching a smile Nanoha admitted, "I didn't want to jinx anything. I was worried I was just imagining things then I was scared it was just me getting the flu. I am pregnant Fate-chan, not dying. In a few weeks this will pass and then you'll only have my crazy hormones going off the charts."

Giving her wife a stern look Fate said, "If you feel the slightest bit of discomfort I want to know Nanoha. I don't want you suffering or pushing yourself. Do you understand me?"

Nanoha tried to placate her wife without really conceding, "Fate-chan it's not that…"

Suddenly Fate was giving Nanoha a penetrating stare and she said in a deathly calm voice, "Nanoha, if I can't trust you not to push yourself then I will go straight to Yanagi-san and put us both on long term leave now. I want these children with you but not at the expense of your health or life. Everyone wants to make a joke about my protectiveness but you can't begin to understand how important you are to me. I won't lose you."

The burning determination in Fate's eyes made it clear she wasn't going to take anything less than her word, taking her hand Nanoha said, "I promise you Fate-chan, if I feel any kind of discomfort I'll let you know. I don't want to lose you either so please don't think I am taking this lightly. I plan on being with you for many years, I want to be able to grow old with you love."

Fate released her breath in one long shuddering exhalation, "Thank you. Now I want you to rest some more. I'll be making dinner tonight. Depending on how good a girl you are will determine if you will be eating downstairs or in bed, so rest okay."

Nanoha gave Fate an amused smile and said, "Yes Fate-mama, I'll behave."

Tucking Nanoha in and kissing her forehead she replied wryly, "Keep it up and I'll spank you Nanoha-chan."

Nanoha pinked at the honorific and risqué threat but rose to the occasion with a smirk, "I thought you wanted to give me an incentive to behave not misbehave Fate-chan."

Giving her wife a mock glare Fate said, "We still have those handcuffs Nanoha, don't tempt me…" then letting the threat hang in the air she disappeared from the room as Nanoha blushed deeply.

~"~"~"~

The next two days were spent with Nanoha being ill every morning to some extent and her lethargy getting worse. The two little beings inside her were draining her more than she had thought possible. Fate not liking this called Carim and made an emergency appointment. Once there Carim ran some labs and gave Nanoha a full check up while Fate gave Nanoha an unamused glare if she tried to understate her symptoms.

Looking over the lab results Carim asked, "Nanoha, you are taking your prenatal vitamins correct?"

Slightly offended by the question, as if she'd do anything to lessen the chances of having healthy children, "Of course I am. I take them at night since I tend to be sick in the morning."

Carim hummed her acknowledgement of this and then picked up her prescription pad, "I think it'll be best for you to start taking iron supplements also, the fatigue and your iron count seem to indicate a deficiency. I would also recommend getting more vitamin D, it's still pretty chilly out but a short walk during the day will work wonders."

After writing out her instruction Carim handed the paper to Fate who read it over and placed it carefully in her pocket. The elder blonde had no doubt Fate would ensure her instructions were followed to the letter.

Stopping by the pharmacy on the way home Fate picked up the iron supplement as Nanoha wandered around feeling like a stupid child. She hadn't thought there was anything wrong but apparently even when she did everything she thought was right she was still failing her family. What if the babies had been hurt by her stubbornness?

When they got home Nanoha immediately went to the bedroom and laid down. Holding her pillow she tried to rest but her conscience was tearing her apart. Guilt filled her, all she wanted was to be a good mother but it seemed she was falling before she even started. Thank heavens Vivio came to her already self sufficient, she might have killed the poor child with her arrogant pride.

Fate came in and saw the huddled form and could sense the black mood coming off her wife. Sitting down on the bed next to Nanoha, Fate then pulled her onto her lap. When the auburn haired woman began to cry Fate tried to shush her and pet her hair lovingly.

"Nanoha, mio amore please calm down. You didn't do anything wrong. There are reasons why you need to have regular checkups. If you're going to be upset with anyone then be mad at Carim and me. All we were concerned about was determining if you were pregnant or not. We all got sidetracked and didn't check to see how you were doing. I should have insisted on blood work being done to check on how you were doing but I was just so caught up in the moment. I'm sorry; I swore to take care of you and failed right off the bat."

The darkness in Nanoha's eyes shifted, Fate was feeling exactly like her, sitting up in she climbed on to Fate's lap and huddled into her embrace. Pressing her head to Fate's shoulder she whispered, "No Fate-chan, I'm a horrible mother, I ignored my body thinking my vague knowledge of what to expect meant I was just dealing with normal pregnancy symptoms. I could have hurt our babies with my stubbornness."

Kissing Nanoha's hair Fate disagreed, "No mio amore, you are the best mama in the world. Even if you can be stubborn sometimes you have always put others before yourself. Sigh, I know you don't like admitting to weakness and don't want to be a burden but I need you to get through that thick head of yours that I want you to depend on me. I depend on you so much. For my happiness… and my sanity. You keep saying you want us to be equal partners, well if you really want that then let me take equal responsibility for what happening within you."

"But you didn't do anything wrong. You're the one who insisted on seeing Carim-sensei, I'd have just wanted until our next appointment in two weeks and who knows what damage that would have done…"

Pressing a finger to Nanoha's mouth Fate said amused, "Do you honestly think I would let you suffer two more weeks? Nanoha I was ready to call Carim that first day but I agreed with you to a certain extent, women get morning sickness, nothing I say or do is going to change that fact. But when I saw the way you were starting to get worn out so easily, especially in our bed after being so insistent I knew something was wrong. You've always been a ball of energy; I don't know how I've been able to keep up with you some days."

Nanoha felt better the longer Fate spoke, it was true. Fate would always be watching out for her. Even if she had tried to hide her weakness Fate could read her better than anyone else. Thinking about how much her blonde goddess did for her she couldn't help wanting to do something special for her wife. Then remembering the date she began to make more ambitious plans.

Kissing Fate softly she whispered, "I love you so much."

Rubbing their cheeks together Fate said, "I love you too. Now I want you to relax for me. I'm going to make dinner and then we can snuggle on the couch for a while."

Letting her blonde goddess escape Nanoha immediately fished out her cell phone and made a few calls, tomorrow would be the perfect day to show Fate how much she appreciated everything she did for her.

~"~"~"~

Originally Nanoha had planned to cook dinner with a decadently chocolate cake for dessert which she would use to torture Fate as she did unconscionable things to her all night. That was still on the agenda but was nowhere near enough to show Fate what she meant to her. Waking up before the blonde was a bit difficult as she was an earlier riser and tended to wake if Nanoha so much as twitched in her hyperawareness. Switching herself out with a pillow had been as nerve-racking as a mission impossible great escape.

Going down stairs she began the process of making homemade chocolates and a large breakfast for her loved ones. The smell of rich chocolate and a delicious meal woke both of Nanoha's blondes but the elder of the pair was less than pleased with waking alone. Fate had snuggled the pillow and realizing she had been duped relinquished her hold and sat up looking for her AWOL wife. The scent of cooking made her stomach growl and her eye twitch…Nanoha should not be pushing herself so hard.

Getting up and pulling on her robe and slippers she made her way down the stairs and saw Vivio hopping like a flea around the kitchen talking animatedly to Nanoha. The sight of her wife in her pink PJs and an apron was too cute for words but honestly the woman should be resting. Coming in Fate looked at her closely and could see fatigue; she clearly hadn't gotten enough sleep.

Sighing Fate pressed a kiss to her forehead, "Mio amore I thought we agreed you wouldn't push yourself? I appreciate the gesture but I much rather woken up with you in my arms this morning."

Giving Fate her best puppy eyes which Fate actually thought looked more like a playful kitten trying to get away with something Nanoha tried to plead her case, "I'm not pushing myself. I already called work and I am going to take the day off and rest. That's why I wanted to make something special for you since I won't be at work with you today."

Fate frowned and looked her over with concern, "Are you sure you're okay? If I need to stay with you I can."

Nanoha rose on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss on the tip of Fate's nose and said, "I'm fine, I plan on taking a nap and resting up for tonight."

The teasing wink Nanoha gave her made it clear that she had diabolical plans for the evening. Vivio seeing this shuddered and wondered if she should stay with her grandparents, then her shudder got worse as she remembered who her mama had inherited her ahem _lovey-dovey_ nature from. Maybe Einhart wouldn't mind her staying over?

Raising an eyebrow at Nanoha's teasing Fate said, "We'll see. If I find out you've spent the whole day running around and exhausting yourself in some mad elaborate plan you're going to find out how much self control I really have. No amount of cute kitten behavior will get you a reprieve either."

Shifting from foot to foot Nanoha tried to deny she had any plans…neither elaborate nor nefarious, "I…I promise Fate-chan I won't take one step out of the house while she's away."

Fate merely hummed and then herded Nanoha to the dining table so the family could eat. A few minutes later the meal was demolished and Nanoha's lovely blondes were ascending the stairs to dress for the day. Cleaning up she felt a slight wave of nausea and she stopped moving. Fate coming back down saw her gripping the sink swaying on her feet, instantly had her scooped up in her arms and carried her to the couch. Bring over a small trash can just in case and pulling out the throw blanket and pillow from the closet to help make her more comfortable. Going to the kitchen she got a packet of crackers and made a soothing cup of Chamomile tea before coming back to set them nearby.

Brushing back Nanoha's bangs she felt for a fever the cupped her cheek, "Mio amore, I want you to rest. I'm going to call Yanagi-san and tell him I'm taking the day off."

Nanoha covered Fate's hand and said, "Fate-chan, I'm fine. I promise I'll rest, there's no reason for you to take the day off. If I have any problems I'll call you."

The way Fate was working her jaw made it clear she was struggling with the request then she sighed, "You will not push yourself, understand me? I have no idea how I'll punish you but I will."

Smiling Nanoha snuggled down into her warm nest and tried to look innocent, the sight made Fate laugh and shake her head and mutter, "Diavolo bianco."

Nanoha pouted and stuck her tongue out making Fate's smile widen before she leaned in and kissed a puffed out cheek and tease, "I love you, even if you're nothing but trouble."

Striking out in revenge Nanoha poked one of Fate's ribs making her squeak and pull back, then she declared, "I think it's time for Fate-chan to go to work."

Nodding Fate stood up and said in a conciliatory tone, "I love you."

Nanoha couldn't keep up her pout when she saw the warmth in Fate's eyes and replied, "I love you more, be safe."

~"~"~"~

Fate sat in her office and didn't like it one bit, she was used to Nanoha's presence now. The soft susurrations of her breathing and the warmth that radiated from her were now necessary if was going to be able to concentrate. Getting up she went to the break room for coffee. As it was Valentine's Day the place was covered in pink and red hearts and cupids, the OLs had gone crazy in their effort to decorate. One of the younger secretaries was in the break room brewing a fresh pot of coffee when Fate came in, seeing the coffee pot in her hands Fate sighed and was about to turn on her heel when the woman called out.

"Testarossa-sensei did you want a cup of coffee?" Her voice was hopeful and eager.

Fate turned around frowning and said, "My name is Takamachi now."

The girl flinched a little at the frown but rallied, "Of course, sorry, um I just poured out the last cup; you can have it if you like?"

The girl was looking at her with bright expectant eyes and Fate wasn't sure why, it was just coffee, shaking her head she replied, "No thank you, I can wait."

Turning away from the girl Fate wondered if she'd really survive a day without Nanoha by her side, then the girl called out again, "Tes…ah Takamachi-sensei?"

Barely suppressing a groan she halted one more time then turned to look at the girl questionably. With a blush the girl reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out a gift bag and thrust it in her direction, "I…I made these for you."

Fate could see they were homemade chocolates. She barely restrained a sigh; she had hoped no one would be so foolish as to try to give her chocolates this year. There was no way she was going to accept chocolates from anyone. In prior years Fate had received a multitude of gifts and harassment on Valentine's Day but this year nothing had been sitting on her desk which gave her hope the day would pass without incident. But seeing what she now recognized as an infatuated smile on the girl's face Fate knew she'd have no such luck.

Shaking her head Fate said, "I am sorry but I can't accept. But thank you for the thought. Have a good day."

Fate slipped back to her office and laid her head on her desk, she wanted Nanoha. Why in the hell did some child think it was alright to give a married woman chocolates? Fate couldn't think of the nineteen year junior secretary as anything but a child, she was barely older than Einhart who was half sister/half daughter to her. Fate grumbled to herself for a moment about the stupidity of people, surely everyone in the office by now knew she was deeply, completely, utterly, fanatically in love with Nanoha.

Needing to hear her wife's voice to re-center herself she reached for her cell phone to dial her when her office phone rang. Sighing Fate braced herself and answered, it was going to be a long day.

~"~"~"~

If Nanoha had known about the chocolates incident the girl in question would have found herself hanging from a window, hanging precariously from the seventh story might be sufficient to make sure she got the message to leave Fate alone. Instead after a nap she was puttering around the house making sure everything was set for a romantic evening with Fate. Before Vivio left for school the pair made arrangements for Vivio to stay at the Testarossa home. Alicia would be out but Nanoha knew she could trust Einhart not to let Vivio get out of hand. The girl was so much like Fate, passionate but a complete "gentleman."

It was a little after ten when her first set of minions arrived to deliver her requested goodies. Teana and Subaru were carrying two floral arrangements each and carefully brought them into the house. Setting them down on the dining table as instructed. Smiling at the young women she thanked them both then placed a small wad of bills into Subaru's hand.

The girl looked at it flabbergasted and tried to return it, "Nanoha-san we can't take this!"

Folding the girl's hand over the money Nanoha replied with a smirk, "Yes you can, you two have been a big help doing this for me on short notice. Besides I've never heard of a college student who couldn't use a little extra spare cash, especially for a date."

Teana's faced scarlet and she stammered, "A da...da…date?!"

Amused by the red head's response she Nanoha pointed out, "Of course, it's Valentine's Day; surely you want to go out?"

Subaru turned to her and gave her to most pathetic puppy eyes imaginable and Teana's defenses crumbed like a three day old cookie. Turning away but still flushed Teana opined, "I…I guess it wouldn't be such a bad thing."

Restraining her laughter by the barest of measures Nanoha quickly ushered them out the door to enjoy the rest of their day together. Feeling a bit smug about the whole thing, maybe the pair will finally become an official pair today? Heaven knows Teana is putting up a better struggle than Fate did, but Fate really never put up a fight at all, capitulation seemed her ultimate goal from the beginning.

~"~"~"~

Fate had forgone any further trips into the break room that morning and while still feeling restless without Nanoha she was able to get a few things done. As lunch time rolled around she decided leaving the building for a sandwich and hiding from the usual suspects who had tried to entice her in the past. When the hour was up she came back feeling less than pleased as Nanoha had guests at the house visiting and hadn't been able to speak for long. While she was happy to know her wife wasn't lonely or feeling sick she was feeling slightly jealous that someone else was sharing a meal with her when she was all alone, bereft of _her_ Nanoha.

Opening the door to her office her annoyance level skyrocketed, there was now a small pile of chocolates and various gifts sitting on her desk. God damn them all she was married! Coming over she saw all over them were addressed to Testarossa-sensei or san and one had the honorific sama. Eye twitching she picked up her trash can and dumped the lot into it. Where did these people get off thinking she'd ever cheat on her wife? All of the gifts were of a romantic nature, not a friendly/professional courtesy one amongst them. Taking another shuddering breath she carried the trash can to the incinerator shoot and dumped the lot, not caring who saw her do it.

~"~"~"~

It was eleven when her next set of minions arrived; Rein and Hayate seemed pleased with themselves which made Nanoha rather worried. She had asked her best friend to pick up something for her to wear that night and told her to have Rein help her choose. The silver haired woman had impeccable taste, well in everything but girlfriends but the saying went love is blind. The pair was carrying two garment boxes each and Nanoha wondered why, all she had asked for was a new dress.

Sitting down on the couch with Rein while Hayate settled into an armchair Nanoha opened the first box handed to her by Rein. Inside was a very risqué set of lingerie which made Nanoha want to smack her friends hard and hug them tight at the same time.

Closing the box carefully Nanoha set it on the coffee table and said, "Very nice. Thank you but I don't believe that's what I asked you for."

Smirking Rein handed her the next box and said, "You have to have the proper undergarments for your new outfit."

The dress inside would have been more properly called a sheer handkerchief than a respectable dress. There was no way Nanoha would ever have the nerve to wear such a thing in public…but they weren't going out tonight…however if she wore this they wouldn't likely be eating dinner either.

Hayate was squirming in her chair like a hyperactive puppy watching the emotions course over her friend's face. The fact that Nanoha was suppressing her natural exuberance was taking some of the joy out of the moment but the wicked gleam that flashed briefly as she thought about how Fate would respond made her want to cackle. Her best friend really was a bigger pervert than she was, it was so nice to see her embrace that fact from time to time.

As Nanoha replaced the cover on her new "dress" Hayate leaned forward and declared, "If you're getting all dressed up we thought it'd be nice if we provided Fate-chan with something new too."

Nanoha was wary of what might be in the first box and when she opened it she nearly fainted, oh yes this would look remarkably well on Fate. Nanoha had to suppress her imagination before she sprung a nosebleed or worse lost control and went in hunt of her blonde to begin the festivities early. The second box was no better at helping her maintain any semblance of control; the dress was made of some kind of stretchy fabric and would hug every delicious curve on Fate's body.

Placing the box down Nanoha looked at the mad gleam in her friend's eyes and felt gratitude and embarrassment war within her, but the dark horse annoyance won when Hayate started to smirk at her. Throwing her pillow at her longtime friend Nanoha groused, "Pervy Tanuki."

~"~"~"~

After having an early lunch with her friends who then departed for their own romantic plans for the day Nanoha began to prepare the evening meal and set up a few mood enhancers in the bedroom. By one in the afternoon when her last set of minions arrived she had most of the preparations complete. Having already hidden Hayate's "gifts" so Alicia couldn't nose through them Nanoha opened the door for the pair of blondes on her doorstep.

Her sister-in-law gave her a smirking grin as she settled into the couch which only turned into a contrite/innocent look after Carim elbowed her. Nanoha was thankful that she hadn't asked Alicia for help with anything too vital; the woman would have likely gone overboard and done something horribly embarrassing. Having appreciated Fate's amazing massaging abilities Nanoha wanted to return the favor but also wanted special scented oil for the occasion. Knowing Alicia she should be able to find the perfect scent to relax her sister. The weight of the gift bag made it clear Alicia had gone beyond her mandate.

Opening the bag Nanoha found a number of small bottles, pulling them out Nanoha read each label.

Alicia then instructed her, "Before Fate-chan gets home I am sure you'll want to get all dolled up, when you do soak in the tub with vanilla bath oil. Guaranteed Fate bait, she'll be drooling all over you no matter what you're wearing."

Not wanting to give Alicia even a satisfaction of seeing her blush Nanoha cocked an eyebrow and said, "She always does, I don't need bathing oil's help for that. And I asked you for massaging oil anyway."

Rolling her eyes Alicia pointed to a purple bottle and said, "Use the cinnamon spice one on her, but I warn you I won't be held responsible for her actions if you do. Combining too much of a good thing at once is just asking for trouble."

"I'll keep that in mind, thanks Cia-chan," Nanoha said slightly annoyed that her sister-in-law getting so much enjoyment out of the situation.

Carim seeing her girlfriend was treading on thin ice said, "Please remember what I said about taking it easy Nanoha-san, have fun but in moderation."

Rubbing her tummy Nanoha reluctantly agreed, "Don't worry, even if I wanted to, Fate-chan wouldn't let me."

~"~"~"~

Fate was working on paperwork after lunch; she had given up on attempting any artistic work, without Nanoha her muse had left her. It might have worried her to learn this about herself but considering the fact she already knew she'd never survive losing the woman it was only to be expected. Rolling her neck to loosen her tension she then eyed the wall clock and wondered if she'd make it to three o'clock let alone her normal departure time of five. She normally worked a ten hour day so she could take an extra day off when necessary though before Nanoha she'd more likely than not work the fifth day.

When her office door opened Fate looked up and felt as if things had just gone from bad to catastrophic. The tall, lean and darkly tanned woman who came in looked Fate over imperiously. Her left eye was covered with an eye patch but her remaining golden eye gleamed with haughty pride. Long white blonde hair hung down her back as shorter cropped hair framed her face. Fate hated dealing with this woman more than any other client she had. Walking in with her ebony walking cane with its silver knob held lightly in her hand she looked over the room and seemed pleased to see no one else present.

Fate stood up and gave her a low bow and said as professionally as possible, "My Lady Cypha of Hückebein, it is an honor to see you once again. How may I serve you?"

Sitting down in the chair before Fate she made a small hand gesture which seemed to indicate her permission for Fate to sit also. Sitting down Fate remained silent; she was perhaps the only person in the building with the requisite talent and patience to deal with this woman.

Finally after a stare down where Fate remained as impassive as ever her unexpected visitor spoke, "It appears I was misinformed. I was told you now not only have a partner but a wife yet I fail to see her by your side."

Bowing her head Fate said politely, "You have not been misinformed My Lady, she is ill and rests at our home."

Raising an eyebrow she asked, "Truly? I would not have believed you willing to marry. I am equally skeptical of the rumor you have changed your surname."

A small twitch of a smile came to Fate's lips but it was the warmth in her eyes which was more surprising when Fate replied, "It is no rumor My Lady, I have been happily married for nearly two months and now bear my wife's name."

The sharp breath of inhalation the woman before her took and the flare of her nostrils made it clear this was not what she wanted to hear, her tone now cold she demanded, "You will annul this farce of a union and take back your proper name immediately do you understand me Fate Testarossa. I do not know what this girl has done to convince you of this folly but it is time to come to your senses."

Leaning back comfortably in her seat Fate let her hands lace on the desktop, it was the height of rudeness to her Ladyship but she was no longer concerned with her feelings. Her face morphed from one of placid deference to one that showed she cared not a whit for what the woman before demanded of her.

With a soft chuckle Fate replied simply, "No."

Glaring now at her pet artist the aristocratic woman spat, "How dare you defy me! I made you what you are. If anyone was going to bed you it was going to be me. If there was ever to be a name to supplant Testarossa from your address it was to be mine. Where is this little commoner who believes she is better than I?!"

Rubbing her brow Fate said impatiently, "Cypha I am not one of your minions. You are not my only client here, let alone Patron."

Feeling her ragged patience fraying further Fate paused and breathed out her frustration and went one with a wry smile, "I have always bent over backwards to give you exactly what you want because it has been profitable and I find you amusing. Your affectations are laughable and pride knows no bounds."

The woman's dark skin flushed with indignation and she was about to begin ranting when Fate held up her hand and suddenly her eyes had a dangerous gleam, voice arctic cold Fate went on, "My personal life has never been something I have _ever_ given you power over. If you somehow deluded yourself into believing I am one of your playthings then that is not my fault. Now if you have actual business to discuss I will be happy to hear it, otherwise _please_ leave my office."

Fate had to give Cypha credit she knew how to flounce quite well. Sagging back in her chair she laughed a little, the woman was a spoiled brat and it had felt good to finally tell her exactly what she thought of her.

~"~"~"~

Less than an hour later a small knock on her office door interrupted Fate's work once again but this time it was actually someone she liked.

The graying older man gave her a small nod as he came in, "Good afternoon Fate-san, how are things going for you today?"

Leaning back and sighing wearily Fated admitted, "About as well as can be expected, it's not as bad as some years but I had hoped people would leave me alone altogether."

Yanagi looking equally tired pointed out, "Far too many people still see your relationship with Nanoha-san as nothing more than an obstacle to their prize. If you have any issues with anyone getting too pushy please let me know."

Shaking her head Fate said, "Other than a moonstruck girl and some gifts left on my desk it's actually been pretty quiet this year. Not like three years ago," the memory caused the blonde to shudder and hunch her shoulders in disgust.

The older man couldn't help smiling a bit at the response, "You handled the situation as well as could be expected. Though it was that event more than anything else that makes me question the rationality of most people."

The pair sat quietly for a moment and tried to put the past memory to rest once more then clearing his throat Yanagi spoke again, "Lady Hückebein came to see me before she left."

Raising an eyebrow Fate asked warily, "What did she say?"

The older man was having a hard time keeping a straight face but said calmly, "She came in to complain about your behavior. Said you were quite disrespectful of her and if I didn't straighten you out she'd remove her business from the company."

Fate was about to defend herself when Yanagi raised a hand to forestall her, continuing he said, "So I asked her what you had done that was so disrespectful? She tells me you got married to ahem well let's just say she was upset with your choice of bride. Her father seemed quite pleased with Nanoha at the wedding so I don't understand her complaints on that and pointed that out. It appears Lord Hückebein didn't inform her of the wedding until it was a fait accompli."

Thinking about the bear of a man Lord Hückebein and how he had seemed to approve of Nanoha at the wedding and how the proud Cypha had not been in attendance made it clear he had chosen to keep her in the dark. The great Lord had been her father's patron and had taken her under his wing after Harlaown-sensei had passed away. His daughter a few years younger from their first meeting had taken to pushing her around, especially in regards to what she wanted Fate to paint. Being a patient person she had indulged the younger girl and soon became young Cypha's _favorite_.

Rolling her tense neck Fate sighed, "I can only wonder how much more upset she'll be when she finds out Nanoha is pregnant."

The grandfatherly man smiled at the mentioning of Nanoha's pregnancy, when the pair came to him the day after confirmation he had been overjoyed, taking in Fate's stress lines he asked, "How is she doing? I was quite concerned when you called this morning regarding her being ill."

Fate's eyes took on a distant look as she spoke, "She's okay; she needs to start taking an iron supplement to help with her fatigue and to get a bit more sunshine, we spend far too much time inside. Today she should be resting; my sister and a friend have checked up on her for me and are making sure she doesn't strain herself. She's so stubborn…sigh but that's what I love about her."

Smiling at Fate's exasperated tone when it came to her headstrong wife Yanagi pointed out, "She has to be to keep you in line. I couldn't be more pleased with how she's handled you this past year, ha-ha, I don't think I've seen you smile so much in all the years you've worked here altogether. Now it's almost three o'clock, why don't you shut down for the day and pick her up a treat on the way home? It wouldn't do to go home empty handed."

Thankful for the early dismissal, she was already feeling guilty about all the time she had been taking off, Fate nodded and thanked her boss, "Thank you sir, I have a surprise for her I need to pick up. Please send my regards to your wife."

Standing up Yanagi straightened his tie and said, "I am sure she will be pleased, now I also need to make a few stops, my wife has a most American outlook to Valentine's Day. Though I should be thankful she still gets me chocolates so even this old man does not feel so left out amongst all the young fellows."

~"~"~"~

Twenty minutes later Fate came to her workshop where she taught her students and found the package that had been delivered a few short days ago. She decided she would take a few minutes to work on her _special_ project. Suddenly looking at the canvas her muse flooding back and her hands flew. It had irked her that this piece wasn't done in time for the wedding, even more so that today she couldn't present it to her wife. She now had less than a month to complete this if she was to be able to present it to Nanoha on her birthday but that was her new goal.

Looking over the piece anyone else but her would have said it was done. But to Fate there were highlights, small details not yet filled in which would drive her mad if not completed. Nanoha wanted to know how she saw her, Fate meant to incorporate each and every loving detail that entranced her in this portrait. When their children were grown and perhaps their grandchildren were running about noisily Fate wanted them all to look at this and know the true beauty of Nanoha, to know she was and always will be Fate's angel.

The fine tip brush in her hand allowed her to carefully add the auburn sheen to dark lashes. In less than hour what had been before a beautiful portrait was now edging towards a masterpiece. Fate stood back and cleaned her brushes; she had to stop now Nanoha was waiting for her and this work was too precious to rush. Carefully she hid the painting and then picked up the less than sufficient to her mind present for Nanoha. How could she ever hope to relay how much she loves the woman? Jewelry, chocolates, flowers, sweet words, even her artwork and all her wealth seemed to pale in comparison to what Nanoha was giving to her. Settling into her car once more Fate headed home.

~"~"~"~

Returning home Fate could smell the most delicious aroma of cooking food and there was a trail of rose petals on the ground leading up the stairs. Swallowing hard Fate wondered if she was going to be able to restrain herself once she found her wife. Slipping off her shoes and coat she then carefully followed the path. Leading directly to their master bath Fate found the tub prepared, the water perfect and the soft scent of vanilla made her smile. Normally she used lavender or rose scent but vanilla made her think of Nanoha. Stripping down she washed then carefully sank into the hot water. The stress of the day seemed to melt away as the scent and heat surrounded her, it was almost as if Nanoha was surrounding her but she desperately missed the feel of her body.

After about ten or fifteen minutes she realized the sound of music had come on and she reluctantly pulled herself out of the bath, she had hoped Nanoha was going to join her but that didn't seem to be the case. Drying off and wearing only her robe she came out hoping to find her wife on the bed but instead there was a set of clothing laid out. The outfit made Fate's heart palpitate like a sprinting horse. If this was what Nanoha wanted her to wear heaven only knew what her sweet little White Devil was wearing.

Dressing quickly she was going to go down stairs quickly but stopped, it wasn't enough to merely were the clothing without making any further effort. Sitting down at her vanity table she pulled out the few pieces of cosmetics she owned and quickly applied the light make up she was comfortable wearing. Then she brushed her until it shone and carefully tied it back with a ribbon that matched her dress. She had to admit even though the dress showed more of her skin than she normally showed she felt beautiful. The scars no longer caught her eye; instead she concentrated on the ring on her hand and wished she had something more to match it.

Nanoha snuck a quick look into the bedroom as Fate made her final check and felt as if she had been struck by lightning. Heaven help her Fate was gorgeous and it was taking all her will power not to just scrap her plans and throw the heavenly woman down on their bed. Opening the jewelry box in her hands she pulled out the necklace and earring set she held in her hands had been hard to get a hold of but seemed so perfect when she thought of it. Using the same jeweler as their wedding rings she had been able to ensure all the stones matched. Walking carefully she snuck up behind her wife and wrapped her arms around her.

Carefully pressing the box into Fate's hands she placed a kiss on her exposed shoulder and whispered, "Happy Valentine's Day love."

Fate had only gotten a glimpse of her wife in the mirror but that and the kiss on her skin made it difficult to think. She had missed Nanoha so much and now her arms were around her again. Fate remembered the first time she really understood how good it felt to be held by Nanoha and was grateful Nanoha found her worthy of her embrace. The auburn haired woman liked to point out how strong she was but her strength was nothing to Nanoha's, she radiated it. When her loving arms held her, Fate no longer felt alone, trusted she'd never be alone again. There would be no darkness that could overwhelm her, she just needed to trust the one who held her and be loved. Her own foolishness proved this, Nanoha wouldn't let her wallow in darkness, she'd drag her into the light and back into her arms any time she stumbled.

Trying to turn Nanoha held her fast and said, "Open your present Fate-chan."

The soft nuzzling to her shoulder and neck was making it difficult to think and her hands shook when Nanoha nipped her gently. How was she supposed to get anything done with the maddening woman distracting her? Finally she got the hinged box open and gasped at the beautiful necklace and earring set. Nanoha pulled the necklace out and carefully latched it around Fate's neck. The fine chain ended in a triangle pendant made up of dozens of tiny yellow sapphires, the color of the stones complemented Fate's pale skin and golden tresses. Then there were the drop earrings, they had a combination of the yellow sapphires, the more traditional blue and diamonds that perfectly matched the stones set in her wedding ring and necklace. Gently Nanoha unhooked them from the box and then placed them on Fate where they hung beautifully.

Turning now Fate took in every detail of Nanoha's attire, the warm glow to her skin and eyes and wondered again how she was ever to capture all that on canvas. Kissing her wife gently as words failed her Fate pulled her in tight and it was only with Herculean effort that Nanoha was able to pull away.

Trying not to looking into eyes now smoky with desire Nanoha said carefully, "It's time to eat Fate-chan."

Licking her lips Fate replied huskily, "I think you're right, it's definitely time to eat. I've been starving all day."

Nanoha wasn't normally the one to use self restraint in the relationship but she had a plan and she wanted to take this day to spoil Fate. Tilting her head she smiled winsomely and said, "Well then you had best follow me, otherwise I'll send you to bed without dinner."

Trying her best to maintain her composure Nanoha escaped as quickly as she would while maintaining a seductive air. The curve hugging dress she wore meant Fate would always follow like a mouse after the piped piper. Sitting down at the dinner table their plates were already on the table. As delicious as the food was Fate's attention never left Nanoha, when the meal was complete Nanoha took the plates and returned with the chocolate cake surrounded by the handmade chocolates. Setting it down instead of returning to her seat Nanoha sat down on Fate's lap wriggling a bit more than necessary to get comfortable making Fate's breath hitch.

Picking up one of the chocolates Nanoha made as if to feed it to Fate who opened her mouth but was instead given a deep open mouth kiss. Nanoha must have eaten one before she came out as her mouth tasted of chocolate which pushed Fate over the edge. Sucking on Nanoha tongue and devouring her whole Fate then let her mouth trail across her cheek then down her neck. Fate was enjoying her delicious treat sucking on Nanoha's sensitive pulse point when she was gently pulled away.

The disappointed moan Fate made helped Nanoha tighten her hold on her self control. Enjoying her power trip Nanoha took Fate's chin and ordered her open her mouth once more. Hoping for another kiss Fate did so but was slightly disappointed by a chocolate. Rolling the bittersweet dark chocolate treat in her mouth Fate sucked on it as she watched Nanoha hungrily. It was clear Fate had no qualms about teasing her wife back; Nanoha had hoped Fate would play hard to get a little considering how she had been behaving since the confirmation of her pregnancy.

Standing up to allow herself some breathing space and to cool her rapidly overheating body Nanoha only got a step away when Fate got up and pulled her back in, in a the seductive growl Fate said, "You're not going anywhere mio amore. I haven't seen you all day and I mean to get my fill of you now."

The soft music in room set a romantic mood and Fate could tell Nanoha had gone through a lot of trouble to make this perfect but at this point she needed her wife in her arms. Holding her tight she moved Nanoha to a clear space in the room and gently danced with her as she pressed kisses up and down her neck. The sensations were making it hard for Nanoha to breathe properly let alone maintain her upright position. Her desperate grip on Fate and the strong arms holding her were all that now kept her on her feet as they came to a stop. Maneuvering them closer to the couch Fate pushed her down to sit then fell to her knees.

Nanoha was lost in the hot pleasure Fate was raining down on her, her dress was quickly removed and the growl of appreciation for her lingerie made it difficult to remember she had planned to dominate the night. Fate so rarely took the initiative that it made her wonder what had happened during the day to make her so desperate. Well the thought flitted through her head momentarily until Fate's sensitive hands and wicked mouth began to tease her breasts and at that point all she could do was revel in the hot pleasure. Fate liked the lingerie so much she refused to remove it for the time being, teasing Nanoha through the sheer lace.

Slipping a teasing hand lower Fate was cupping Nanoha and could feel how aroused she was by the dampness of the lace. Taking her time she lightly rubbed and caressed inner thighs and the beaconing heated center. The frustrated moans she incoherent words which seemed to consist of Fate's name and some variant on the word, "more," made Fate increase her torment. When Nanoha finally grabbed Fate's hand and pushed it to her aching core and demanded hotly, "Touch me properly!" Fate grinned at the loss of composure.

Moving the skimpy lace panties to the side Fate teased slick flesh for a few heart stopping moments then plunged two fingers into Nanoha's desperate core making her arch off the couch. It didn't take long for Nanoha to reach her peak; Fate had teased her too long and well for her to hold back. The shuddering and gripping Fate tightly rode out her orgasm until she finally collapsed back onto the couch. She glowed with contentment as she took in Fate with loving eyes.

Reaching out Nanoha petted Fate's face, running her hands over the soft skin, whispering, "I love you."

Kissing Nanoha gently Fate replied, "I love you, now what do you say we go to bed, it will be much more comfortable. I want to spoil you some more. I missed you so much today."

Concerned Nanoha asked, "Did anything happen?"

Standing up before reaching up to help Nanoha to her feet Fate tried to dissuade Nanoha from questioning her further, "Nothing much. I'd much rather concentrate on you right now than think about work."

Worried at Fate's hedging Nanoha pleaded, "Fate-chan you promised to share your problems with me."

Picking up Nanoha in a bridal carry Fate tried again to put off the conversation, "I will but not now mio amore. Please, let's just enjoy being together for a little while then we can talk about the craziness in the office."

Sighing Nanoha tried to use this to negotiate, "I'll drop it for now but only if I get to give you a massage."

Smiling at this offer Fate kissed her and began the ascent up to their bed, "You can do whatever you like to me. Right now I want to feel you."

~"~"~"~

It was late when Nanoha woke up again after the vigorous activities she and Fate had engaged in. As eager as Fate was to touch her she was equally careful not to harm her pushing Nanoha to take control. The last two rounds had been decidedly more _intensive_ than their previous activities. Looking over at her wife who was laying on her stomach still deliciously naked Nanoha shifted closer. Pulling the sheet down she took in Fate's form in the dim light, the scars on her back appeared random but after study Nanoha could see patterns. Places where a rake like object had been used to tear up tender flesh. Places where it was it appeared Fate was almost flayed open with surgical precision. Whip marks which showed more than one type of that terrible tool was used to beat her. Between the terrible marks was precious little pale unmarred skin.

On her exposed arms Nanoha could see the same surgical like scars where indeed Fate's skin had nearly been removed in one torture session. Sewn back together like a rag doll by a mad scientist who pulled her apart and put her back together without regard. Scarred and abused mentally and emotionally Fate could have become a monster, could have descended into alcohol or drugs but instead she became an angel. Gentle hearted and generous to a fault, loving and loyal, she was a miracle. Leaning over Nanoha placed a kiss on a shoulder blade which made Fate twitch awake, turning over Fate pulled her down for a proper kiss.

When they came back up for air Nanoha settled against Fate's side and asked, "So what did happen at work today?"

Knowing she couldn't get out of it Fate sighed, "In a nutshell, I was given chocolates and gifts which I either refused in person or disposed of if it was left anonymously. Then I had a visit from a delusional client who was not happy with our marriage, I had to set her straight. It wasn't the worst Valentine's Day in the office I've ever had but next year you better be there with me to protect me from those crazies."

Sitting up Nanoha looked down on Fate who looked like the memory of the day had re-exhausted her. Climbing onto her wife to straddle her hips the dullness in Fate's eyes seemed to lessen at the sight of Nanoha's naked body. Warm hands smoothed their way up soft thighs to hold her hips securely.

As much as Nanoha enjoyed the touch she didn't allow it to distract her, with a look of concerned worry she asked, "Who? Who gave you Valentine's gifts?"

Now Fate was growing amused, rubbing her thumb in small circles on Nanoha's hips she answered, "Don't know I dumped them without looking."

Nanoha wanted to be annoyed but really she liked the fact that Fate hadn't even bothered to see who gave her gifts but she still had questions, "Who tried to give you a gift face to face?"

Frowning as she tried to remember the girl's name but nothing came to her, truthfully Fate answered, "I don't remember her name; she's one of the new secretaries. She's just a kid Nanoha, barely older than Einhart or Vivio, I tried to be polite but I made it clear I wasn't accepting anything from her."

Chewing her lip Nanoha considered this answer then asked, "What'd she say to you?"

Sighing Fate pleaded, "Mio amore, she's a harmless child please just drop it. I really don't want you getting into trouble when we go back to work. Besides when I said I was polite that might have been a bit of an over exaggeration, I was pretty angry actually. She called me Testarossa and I snapped at her a bit. You don't need to shake her down, I am pretty sure I've already ruined her false impression of me."

Conflicted Nanoha _knew_ Fate wasn't trying to protect a secret lover but her insane hormones were crying out for blood on any who trespassed in her territory, moving on she asked, "Tell me about the client, why doesn't she like the fact that we're married?"

Thankful Nanoha had given up on pursuing the idiot child and more than happy to feed Cypha to the wolves, well wolf, Fate explained, "Lady Cypha of Hückebein, you met her father at the wedding. Her Ladyship thought the whole thing was a hoax, when I explained I am happily married she threw a tantrum. She's always had an over inflated sense of entitlement. Just because I have never said no to her in the past, well I have said no but the fact that no one else was "playing" with me she was alright with considering me a mint-in-the-box toy for herself."

This explanation gave Nanoha a sense of foreboding and the dark look in her eyes as she tried to think what this all meant scared Fate, giving her a gentle squeeze to recapture her attention Fate went on, "Mio amore, please don't worry about this. Cypha tried to go to Yanagi-san and he put her in her place, she's an important client but it won't make or break the company to lose her. Besides I doubt she really will pull her business, no one else can work with her. She's thrown tantrums before in the past and in the end she always comes back to work with me."

Nanoha's concerns were less than relieved by this; The Lady of Hückebein was in love with her wife and was trying to pressure to divorce her. The fact that Fate was the only one who could deal with the high maintenance woman just meant the woman would continue to pressure Fate until one of them cracked. The great and powerful were not known for their patience but for the insane amount of force they could bring to bear when they wanted something.

Tears were now building in Nanoha's eyes as she foresaw a day in the not too distant future where Fate would send her away. Fate could see her words were not reaching Nanoha and tried to think of what she could do to reassure her. Pulling Nanoha down to her and held her close, with her rapidly spiraling down mood her body was beginning to chill. The coolness to the normally warm skin made Fate's concern spike.

Rolling so Nanoha was now under her she pulled the covers back over them and began to gently caress Nanoha's face, "Mio amore don't…sigh…I…I love you. Cypha is the daughter of my father's greatest patron, I was raised to show the family deference but no matter high they may be they don't own me. I told you before I don't need to sell my artwork to support myself or our family; and I especially don't need the Hückebeins' approval to be happy with you."

Pressing small kisses on Nanoha's face Fate tried to convey her sincerity, "I have never seen Cypha as anything other than a spoiled brat. Not in the same way as Levi or Cia-nee but in a completely annoying and repellant way. I have no desire to ever become her plaything. Nanoha she doesn't love me, she wants to own me and the only person on this planet I am willing to let claim any kind of ownership over me is you. Honestly I was hoping to hide behind you the next time she decides to make a grand appearance. It would give me great pleasure if you'd claim me, maybe with a nice kiss and holding me tight."

Softly pleading burgundy red puppy eyes begging Nanoha to claim her bolstered her flagging confidence. Reaching up she caught Fate's face in her hands and asked her as pointedly as she could, "Do you really want me to claim you Fate-chan?"

Taking Nanoha's left hand she kissed the ring set on her finger, "I've already given myself to you Nanoha. I've sworn to be faithful to you for the rest of my life and that is not pledge I ever mean to break. I've taken your name and as much as that annoys so many of my clients, not just the Hückebeins, I mean to be a Takamachi until my dying breath. If you want me to tattoo, 'Property of Nanoha Takamachi,' on my forehead I'd be happy to do so."

Snorting her amusement at the thought of tattooing Fate, Nanoha shook her head, "You are so silly Fate-chan. I was being serious; would you really be alright with me claiming you like some toy when this woman shows up? Doesn't the thought make you feel cheap or like an object?"

The gentle smile at the corners of Fate's mouth made it clear she was amused with Nanoha's concerns but she answered seriously, "Nanoha at our wedding when I kissed you so possessively did you like it?"

"You know I did," Nanoha said with a blush.

"At the New Year's Ball when we got separated, you struggled to get to me as much as I did getting to you. You put in as much possessiveness into that kiss as I did, do you regret that?"

Nanoha practically shouted her denial, "Of course not!"

"What of the times when we're making love and you mark me and practically growl in my ear, 'Mine,' do you mean that?"

The flustered consternation on Nanoha's face was rather cute, "Fate-chan you know I do, I'd really like to mark you somewhere others could see but I could never do that. It's not like we're teenagers anymore, it would be crude to have you walking around with hickeys all over."

Fate leaned in and pressed a kiss right under Nanoha's ear and whispered, "I'd have no problem walking around with your love mark on me. Do you want to know why?"

Shivering at the almost sultry tone Nanoha swallowed hard trying to control herself as she asked, "Why?"

Fate pulled away and carefully held herself up on her knees over Nanoha's sprawling form, taking her left hand she kissed it's palm then traced it down a scarred arm then down to her stomach then back up to her heart where she held it, "I've been marked by hate, anger and madness Nanoha, do you honestly think I would hesitate to let you mark me with love?"

Shifting Nanoha sat up so she could comfortable pull Fate down onto her lap. Looking her in the eyes searching for any doubt she leaned in then in the most prominent location she could comfortably reach. Kissing the spot softly before she carefully began to gently mark her wife. When she pulled back the dark mark on the pale skin seemed to draw her eyes, even with concealer the mark was going to be obvious to anyone looking at Fate. It was too high to be hidden by a scarf or a turtleneck properly.

Before Nanoha could even feel like apologizing or feel guilty Fate pressed her back down on the bed.

~"~"~"~

The next morning when Fate woke up her wife was still snuggled into her which meant it was already a great day for her. With a loving kiss she slipped out of the bed leaving a slightly groggy Nanoha to moan piteously at the lost of warmth. Another kiss and tucking her back in Fate was able to make her escape. A quick wash up she went down stairs and began cleaning up. The cake with the chocolates were still sitting on the table and she was about to pick them up and go back to bed when the doorbell rang. Groaning her disappointment, she wanted to have a _proper_ breakfast with Nanoha.

Without much thought Fate opened the door and found the imperious Hückebein brat standing on her doorstep. Immediately she saw the mark on Fate's neck and without thinking she reached out and slapped her. Fate hadn't been expecting the blow and stumbled back falling on her butt as the towering figure began shrieking curses deafening her. Then all sound stopped, looking up Fate saw Nanoha had caught Cypha by the hair just as she had Quattro previously. Only this time Nanoha wasn't dealing with a woman who had no martial arts training. Cypha swung her cane back trying to bludgeon the woman who dared to lay hands on her. Nanoha was able to duck the first swing but the fact that the foul woman had attempted to harm her wife had Fate on her feet faster than lightning.

With a terrible thump Fate tackled the intruder knocking her into the wall and pressing her there with her entire body's weight knocking the air out of her. Pulling back just enough Fate swung a right hook and caught her squarely dazing the still struggling woman. Shifting her weight Fate then let fly another blow with her left hand to the one-eyed woman's stomach. When Cypha fell to her knees coughing Fate stood back breathing heavily fists still tight.

Nanoha looked at her wife standing over the intruder and could feel the same dark aura of anger surround her. It was thicker and felt even more dangerous than it had had when they had faced Vice. If this woman was the person she suspected her to be then Fate's reaction seemed excessive. Surely Fate wouldn't strike out at an old friend so fiercely?

Finally the woman stopped coughing and looked up at Fate glaring but before she could speak Fate growled, "How dare you attempt to strike my wife? How dare you barge your way into our home? I have half a mind to call the police and have you arrested for breaking and entering, trespassing and attempted assault."

Standing up the woman's skin was even darker with a flush of anger, "I dare you to call them, I'll see you locked up for attacking my person you disgusting, inconsiderate, insolent peasant!"

Taking a step closer with clenching fists Fate hissed, "This isn't Belka and no one cares about your so called nobility. Your attempt to strike a pregnant woman with that stupid cane of yours will be good for five years in prison to say the least."

Cypra's body went rigid at these words and she turned to look at Nanoha who had her hands covering her stomach protectively. Jaw working madly the spoiled noblewoman glared at her as she demanded, "Whose child does she carry? Has she already defiled this parody of a marriage? Or did you pity this gutter whore and decide to claim her illegitimate spawn?"

The resounding sound of Fate back handing the woman into silence and once more knocking her back into the wall was shocking.

But it was the menacing growl Fate now spoke in that was finally struck the fear of god even into the arrogant brat that was Lady Hückebein, "Speak one more insult against my wife and I will rip out your tongue and feed it to you. Now you will listen and listen well because I am only going to give you this one warning in deference to your father. If you ever come near my wife, home, or workplace again I will break you. I am not speaking just of your physical body Cypha. I will utterly destroy you; your wealth and position are dependent on your father conferring his title on you. You are merely his heir apparent, how many cousins do you have? Any one of them will make a better Lady Hückebein than you and even your father agrees with this. He is waiting for you to mature, to grow up into the woman your mother would have wanted you to be. Now get out of my house before I do something you'll regret."

The woman was fearful but too many years of getting her own way had destroyed any hope of her minding her tongue, "Whose child do you carry?"

The demanding tone grated Nanoha's nerves and seeing Fate was on her last thread of patience she decided to do exactly what Fate asked, she claimed Fate entirely.

Stepping over to her livid wife Nanoha wrapped her arms around Fate's neck and said; "I'm carrying Fate-chan's children, I am her wife after all," then she pulled Fate down and gave her a breathtaking kiss.

Fate didn't want to take her eyes off the intruder the adrenaline rushing through her body had her ready to tear apart a woman she had grown up with into pieces. When Nanoha's arms wrapped around her neck Fate felt conflicted she wanted to pull Nanoha in but worried about what the unruly woman-child would do. Then Nanoha claimed her and Fate melted into Nanoha. Opening herself completely, subjugating herself to Nanoha's will and reveling in the love she could feel pouring into her from tight embrace and kiss.

Nanoha could taste blood in the kiss and realized Fate's lip must have been damaged when their unwelcome visitor arrived. Flickering her tongue over the damaged skin she soothed it as best she could making Fate moan and give Nanoha greater leeway to explore all of her. The pair only broke apart when the door to their home slammed shut.

Pressing their foreheads together Fate gave Nanoha a loving smile, "Thank you mio amore."

Confused Nanoha asked, "What for love? You're the one who protected me."

Fate could have rolled her eyes in exasperation at Nanoha's denseness, "For claiming me. For keeping this whole unpleasant incident from escalating into a bloodbath. I swear if she had said one more ugly thing about you I was going to crack her thick skull with that stupid cane of hers. I don't have much patience left for her at this point, she tried to hit you; if she had succeeded nothing would have stopped me from beating her into a bloody pulp."

Seeing how upset Fate was over the incident Nanoha kissed her once more then pulled back just enough to speak, "I am going to lock the door then call Vi and tell her to stay with Ein for a while longer. We're going to go back upstairs and take a little time to calm down. I meant to give you a proper massage last night before you distracted me."

Nodding her head Fate agreed with this plan then added her own stipulation, "Sounds good but only if we get to take that cake you made upstairs with us."

A quick peck on the lips and a wink was all the response Nanoha gave as she detangled herself from Fate to lock the door.

~"~"~"~

A/N2: I have never read Force, what little have picked up from other fans it's not really worth it(?) I love the original anime series and have read most of Vivid and Innocent(s). Maybe someday I'll take the time to read Force but for now I'm just use generalizations. Please review and let me know what y'all thought of this latest chapter. I hope everyone had a good Valentine's Day, XOXO.


	20. Chapter 20: Coming Full Circle

A/N1: The management would like to take a moment to thank **Kuraa** for beta'ing this chapter, any remaining errors belong to the writer, that's about all she owns along with the plot. Another thank you goes out to **CrazyLikeArt** for once again providing excellent Italian translations.

The author loves Google, so many people sharing rude German nicknames out on the web just ripe for the picking.  
Google Translate was used for all the German translations, so sorry if I got anything wrong.

[ _Italized_ ] Italian Translation * { **Bold** } German Translation

Disclaimer: No claim of ownership of the MGLN universe or its characters is being made. No profit is made from this story.

~"~"~"~

Chapter 20: Coming Full Circle

When Vivio finally came home Saturday afternoon she found her mother laying on the couch flipping through a new photo album with a cat-that-ate-the-canary smile. Her Valentine's gift from her loving wife was a professionally made album that showcased both their lives from birth to their wedding/honeymoon. The ultra rare pictures of baby Fate had her hugging her wife tightly and declaring it was the best gift ever.

Vivio sat down next to her mom and looked over the woman; there were clear signs that her mother had been having way too much fun the past twenty-four hours. While Nanoha wasn't her biological mother she noticed that she had over the years picked up more than one habit from the woman. Was she doomed to be just as stubborn and insatiable when it came to her lover? Einhart seemed to think so but wasn't complaining.

Thinking back to the past day cycle with Einhart, Vivio was ready to blush scarlet. Her mother noticed this and put the book down to look at her properly, "So how was your Valentine's Day?"

The question was asked with more than a pinch of slyness and Vivio wanted to run away and hide. The strong grip on her wrist kept her trapped and as did the amused smile on her mama's lips.

"Really Vi-chan you make it seem like it's something to be embarrassed about? You should be proud to have such a loving girlfriend and be bragging all about her. If I had met Fate-chan at your age I would have been bouncing off the walls gushing about her."

"Mama! This isn't the kind of thing you talk to your parents about," Vivio tried to explain earnestly.

Raising an eyebrow at this, "Oh and who do you plan on talking about it to? Your friends? Wouldn't rather talk to me and make sure you aren't missing out on anything?"

Vivio's jaw dropped at this, her mother was a terrible person. Shouldn't she be trying to stop her from doing naughty things with her girlfriend? Not asking for all the sordid details and helping her plan to further corrupt the poor girl.

Giving her daughter a gentle squeeze on the wrist Nanoha stopped teasing her and said, "Sweetie I am just teasing you. Honestly though, if you ever want to talk to me about your relationship with Einhart know I will be open-minded. You're nearly the age I was when I got married and I want to make sure you don't end up making the same mistakes I did. I know Einhart would never hurt you and I would like it if your relationship continues to develop. My only concern is if this is something you're ashamed of and are unwilling to be honest about then maybe you should break it off before you hurt Einhart."

Without thinking Vivio shouted, "NO! I love her! I won't give her up for anything. I'm proud to have her for my girlfriend!"

Fate and Einhart were in the kitchen making a snack when the shouting started and Einhart rushed out worried something was wrong. Hearing the last part of Vivio's rant she turned scarlet and froze on the spot unsure of what to do.

Fate following behind heard the words too and knowing her wife was likely to have been teasing _their_ daughter said, "Ok Nanoha that's enough teasing for one day. I swear, you get to be more like Hayate every day."

Sniffing in disapproval at the comment Nanoha said, "I wasn't teasing her. I was being serious. She and Einhart are starting to really get serious with each other and I am concerned about how they're going to handle that. It's one thing to hang all over a friend when you're in highschool but they're going to be third years soon then graduating. If Vivio's anything like me she's probably been getting frustrated with the lack of progress in their physical relationship. But what can be described as skinship and what makes constitutes a relationship has more to do with the respect and devotion a couple has for each other. I want to know how serious she is about this relationship and that this isn't just a phase. I planned on having a similar conversation with Einhart on this matter later."

The teens looked at each other bashfully and Einhart was the first to speak, "Nanoha-san, I am very serious about Vivio. This isn't just a phase or a game to me. I know our relationship will have its ups and downs and people will likely look down on us but that doesn't matter to me. All that matters is Vivio's happiness. I mean to do all I can to support her and stay by her side. I…I love her."

Looking her mother straight on in the eyes Vivio said, "Mama, I really and truly love Einhart. You're right I am the one pushing us to become more intimate but I'd never ask for that if I didn't love her. I can't imagine wanting to share that part of myself with anyone else. And I sure as heck don't ever want anyone but me to be with her like that. We already get weird looks from people at school but I don't care, I'd rather have her than popularity or society's approval."

This relieved Nanoha's mind, "Good, I had the chance to be with someone once upon a time and refused the chance because I was scared of the repercussions. While I can't truly regret the life I've lived because it's brought me you and Fate for years I sometimes wondered what might have been if I hadn't been such a coward."

Sighing she went on, "Conversely, I also want to make sure you aren't going into this relationship just because you think you have to be gay for Fate and I to love you."

Vivio giggled and Einhart stuck her tongue at her, amused Fate asked, "What's that all about?"

Einhart scuffed at the carpet with her toe and admitted, "Vi said something like that to me not too long ago. She was worried I was playing at girlfriends with her because I wouldn't go further than kissing with her."

Getting up Vivio came over and hugged her before placing a kiss on her cheek, "Ein-chan really does like playing hard to get."

Fate decided to tease the little blonde, "Ah-huh, I knew it, Piccola diavolo bianco. [ _Baby White Devil_ ] I warned you Einhart to watch out for those Takamachi girls, I knew I was a lost cause from day one but you still had a chance to escape."

The green hair girl just laughed as she wrapped her arms around Vivio's waist and admitted ruefully, "Actually I didn't. I was pretty much a lost cause from day one too."

Both Nanoha and Vivio smiled at this answer but turned to Fate and gave her frighteningly similar glares.

Backing up slowly Fate quickly realized she had shaken up a hornet's nest of trouble, maintaining eye contact with the lead predator and giving her an apologetic smile Fate said, "Um, I love you! Uh I'm gonna finish making those sandwiches now…Bye!"

Fate disappeared into the kitchen with a little wave of her fingers and a flash of speed. Apparently her survival instincts were still as strong as ever.

Vivio leaned into Einhart and pouted, making Einhart nuzzle her and whisper lovingly, "Fate è una tale prepotente, sempre a prendersela con la mia dolce piccola Vivio." [ _Fate is such a bully, always picking on my sweet little Vivio._ ]

Vivio snuggled a little more liking the attention then turned to look at her mother again. The pair couldn't help releasing a peal of quiet giggles. The Takamachi girls really did have their partners under their thumbs.

~"~"~"~

Monday came too soon for Fate, Nanoha was doing much better now with the iron supplements but was still nauseous in the mornings. So after a very light breakfast they left the house for work with Fate's bag stuffed with various food items and drinks to help her get through the day. Fate wondered if it'd be a bad idea to get one of the baby tote bags they'd been gifted to use for all her Nanoha supplies, probably.

Entering the building she knew the dark bruise on her neck was visible to all. Their boss was speaking with one of the security guards and that made Nanoha's already upset stomach roil with anxiety. Seeing the pair he instantly saw the love mark on Fate's neck and his eyebrows twitched in surprise. Apparently there was a bit more truth in Lady Cypha's account than he had given credence.

Nanoha could see where Yanagi's eyes had focused and whispered to Fate, "I told you to put a Band-Aid over it at least."

Fate smirked, "What and hide your handiwork? No, thank you."

Mumbling to herself Nanoha griped, "I never should have listened to you. That hickey is going to cause us all sorts of trouble."

Hearing this Fate wrapped an arm around Nanoha and pulled her tight to her side, "You're worth any amount of trouble."

Yanagi saw the new openness to their behavior and was slightly concerned. Protecting Fate's position in the company would become exponentially more difficult if she began to flaunt her relationship with Nanoha. It was bad enough having to explain her sudden need for time off and name change. Fate's famous name gave her more protection from the powers that be than she truly understood.

Speaking as formally as possible he addressed the pair, "Ladies, if you will, please come with me to my office."

They followed behind and Fate could hear the murmurings of her co-workers, the softly spoken words of gossip and innuendo but what halted her was the whispered words, "Slut" and "Fake." Angry beyond belief she stopped and stared hard at the crowd trying to find the speakers.

Nanoha heard them too but was much too concerned about their jobs than she was about the jabbering of their co-workers. If they lost their jobs how would they support their children? Her home was still under mortgage and then there was Vivio's schooling. Her mind was spinning with fear and uncertainty. Pushing her wife forward they came to the executive office for their manager and quickly found seats.

Sitting down in front of them Yanagi didn't mince words, "Fate-san you called me this weekend to report an incident that happened at your home and I thank you for that. Lady Cypha called on me that evening with a very outlandish story and demands for your termination."

Fate's eyes slit in anger, "The little brat."

"Yes, well the only reason it appears it took so long for her to contact me was she was complaining to her father first. Lord Hückebein apparently is taking a neutral stance at this time. I believe he wants to speak to you personally."

Rubbing her forehead in aggravation Fate replied, "I will contact him immediately and arrange a meeting. Perhaps he can keep Cypha from attempting something like this again."

Sighing Yanagi decided to get the worst over with, "That won't be enough. You have enemies on the board Fate-san. People who have been waiting for years to see you removed from this company. This has the potential to become quite the scandal. You coming into the office with a love mark on your neck will only throw fuel on the fire."

Standing up Fate looked at her boss, a man she deeply respected and barely restrained the growl in her voice, "I told you before Yanagi-san I will not hide my relationship with my wife. Those who find it offensive or wish to use it against me will find I will not be cowed."

Taking Fate's arm Nanoha tried to calm her, "Fate-chan…"

Clenching her teeth for a moment Fate steadied herself, it would not do to upset Nanoha, taking a calming breath she said, "I hereby put in for a request for long term leave. If that is not acceptable then I am tendering my resignation now."

"Fate!" Nanoha almost screamed, what the hell was she thinking!

Knowing she was jumping the gun by not discussing this with Nanoha, Fate backtracked to calm her, "Mio amore, it'll be okay. We'll be okay even if neither of us works again. I might have failed to mention a few things when we got married. You know about the house in France but not about the other properties Alicia and I inherited. We inherited quite a bit from our father but our mother's legacy dwarfs that, the medical patents alone could support us for life. I've never touched that money and just had our financial advisor invest it back into further research. In the years since taking over the estate Alicia and I have trebled our inheritance."

Yanagi knew this was the truth and seeing how scared Nanoha was tried to help reassure her also, "Nanoha-san, Fate-san is speaking the truth. She doesn't have to work, she does so because she hates being idle. When I met her before her graduation she was already well established in the artistic community but she wasn't happy with just being a commissioned artist. She wanted to do more with her skills, push herself creatively. I brought her in and despite her youth and inability to work with others I kept her on because she is the best at what she does. I fight to keep her on staff not because she needs the job but because I need her on my team. Since she came to work for me we have gained some of the largest accounts out there. Those who wish to drive her off do so because they want those accounts to go to their preferred artists. Within the company there is a terrible amount of in fighting over accounts. As sad as it is to say my livelihood is more on the line here than hers."

Knowing she was being impetuous but she could only blame life with Nanoha had corrupted her better thinking Fate said, "If it comes down to that Yanagi-san we can just open our own firm. You know the business end better than anyone else on the board. I have the capital and while my name has changed my abilities haven't. We could have an office put together in a few weeks and I know a few of the apprentices wouldn't mind following us. It'd be better than staying low man on the totem pole here for the next five to ten years."

Laughing at the offer Yanagi said, "You are tempting me Fate-san. But I am far too old to start again."

Shaking her head, "No, you're not. If things go bad for you sir, please come to me. You've always protected me, it's the least I can do to help you in any way I can. You are the father I always wanted, I do not want you to suffer for my sake."

Nanoha was dizzy with information, she wasn't sure what her wife was now up to…was she seriously talking about opening up a new ad company as if was a weekend project? Was her career just a joke to her? Suddenly Fate's lack of concern for her career and name struck her as egotistical. Fate had the wealth to fall back on, what did it matter if she threw it away like an unwanted toy? Nanoha had struggled for her education, for her position and the respect of her peers. Did Fate even understand what she was doing to her?

Nanoha always knew Fate was wealthy, her work sold for outrageous amounts of money. Her salary here at the company was in the top bracket for the company. She had also inherited her father's substantial wealth and he had been a big name in the artistic community. He had entire wings in museums dedicated to his work. But Nanoha hadn't even taken into consideration her mother leaving anything behind. The abuser of Fate's youth had been a genius and of course that would have equated to some form of wealth from her years of research and practice. All that wealth and inherited prestige meant Fate likely never had to struggle to find her place, it had all been handed to her. Could Fate even appreciate what it would cost Nanoha to lose her job? Not financially but as a self sufficient adult who had always prided herself on making it on her own merit and abilities.

Placing her head in her hands Nanoha tried not to let the spinning room cause her to vomit, Fate seeing this knelt in front of her worriedly. Rubbing her back she spoke softly, "Mio amore, are you okay? Do we need to go home and rest?"

Not knowing what else to do Nanoha nodded, Fate turned to Yanagi, "I meant it about the leave, I won't speak for Nanoha, but if I have my way neither of us will be back until after our girls are born. I won't stand by while anyone tries to snipe at my wife or tries to make me feel ashamed of our relationship."

Wobbling Nanoha stood and Fate was less than pleased with this. Knowing Nanoha wouldn't like it but not wanting to take any chances with her falling Fate scooped her up and carried her out. Yanagi's knowing smile as he opened the door and nodded them out was enough to make Fate smile back. Yes, he was the father she should have had; he would have never left her behind. He would defend their position or go down with them, she just hoped for his sake it didn't come to that.

~"~"~"~

The drive home was quiet as Nanoha tried to work through what had just happened. Her wife, the woman she was going to have babies with, her lover was not just wealthy it appeared she was filthy rich. It was no wonder the Scryas had fallen at her command, how much money had she spent in that act? Fate had never acted like she was part of the "normal" world but Nanoha had put that down to her past more than any sense of entitlement. How much of her behavior was due to her not wanting to deal with people _beneath_ her versus her pure aversion to society due to her abuse?

When they got home Nanoha got out of the car on her own and tried to keep some space between them, she loved the woman too much, if she touched her any rational thought would fly away. She had to figure out what this all meant. Going upstairs she went to their room and was about to lay down when the Fate's scent struck her from the pillow. Getting up she went to Vivio's room and laid down there, she had to keep her mind firmly grounded.

Nanoha tossed and turned and tried to think if any of Fate's behavior was darker than it had first appeared. Was she married to a more calculating and suave version of Yuuno after all? The man always got what he wanted, so did Fate apparently. Fate's family money meant she could do whatever she wanted and just like Yuuno she went into a respectable field and "played" at being a professional. She had a doctorate in Art History, Yuuno had his doctorate also. Well educated equaled prestige after all. When Yuuno was annoyed or didn't get his way he'd sulk until Nanoha gave in and let him have his way no matter how humiliating or shameful the act. Fate had every right to get depressed due to her abuse, those scars and her medical records didn't lie but was she using that to manipulate others? She tried to think of the things Fate had gotten her to do with her depression and honestly couldn't think of anything humiliating or shameful coming from them. But that didn't mean someday Fate wouldn't take advantage of the situation.

It was nearly lunch time and Nanoha was no closer to deciding what if anything this new information meant for her life. Couldn't she just be happy her family would never want for anything? Why did this news fill her with trepidation?

Fate knew something was bothering Nanoha but wasn't exactly sure what. She suspected it had to do with her or Nanoha wouldn't be hiding in Vivio's room. She had decided to give her a _short_ time to work through her thoughts but wasn't going to let this fester. Coming into the bedroom carrying a tray with a nutritious lunch and a glass of caramel milk she could see Nanoha wasn't any closer to an internal resolution. She sat the tray down on the side table then took a spot on the corner of the bed leaning against the footboard.

Looking at her wife with concerned ruby eyes but not touching Fate asked, "Mio amore, what's troubling you?"

Seeing Fate come in Nanoha sat up against the headboard and pulled her knees in against her chest. Nanoha felt like she was seventeen again. Scared she was falling into the same trap. Her heart and head were screaming at each other and she was so tired and afraid. Fate's cavalier behavior regarding their jobs had struck a raw nerve in her. How often had Yuuno tried to get her to quit her job just so she could spend more time pampering him? How often had he treated her dreams and ambitions as nothing more than jokes?

Her voice was muffled when she finally spoke with her head leaning on her knees, "I never realized how alike you and Yuuno really are."

If Nanoha had slapped her she couldn't have shocked Fate more, trembling Fate asked, "How so?"

Nanoha outlined the similarities, her thoughts and fears and finally questioned Fate regarding her role in taking down her former husband's family. Fate frowned and while she was hurt by the comparison she could see how Nanoha could get wrapped up in the big picture and forget all the details in her current hormonal state. Pushing aside her own hurt feelings she knew she needed to settle Nanoha before this hormone charged paranoia had a chance to take root and really grow teeth.

Standing up Fate came over to the side of the bed and knelt by the side of the bed, speaking gently she asked, "Tell me Nanoha, would Yuuno ever get on his knees for you? Would he sacrifice everything he loves to be with you? You said he was proud of his position as an archeologist and professor. I too am proud of my professional accomplishments but they don't mean a thing to me compared to you. Me taking your name should be ample proof of that."

Nanoha's frown at this statement made it clear this wasn't what she wanted to hear.

Sighing Fate tried to properly explain again, "Mio amore maybe I am not saying this the right way. I would give up my art for you. I will give up the thing that kept me alive when I had no hope, the thing that protected my mind when I was tortured, I'd give it up for you. I've given you all of me; you mean more to me than all the colors in the world. Painting isn't just a job for me, it's who I am. Until you came into my life, it was all that I was.

I am sorry I made you feel like I am pressuring you to quit, that wasn't my intention. If you want to work then I fully support that. I just don't want you hurt or stressed out; right now the office is not a safe place for you. I was too impetuous this morning when it came to our jobs…it's just I can't stand the idea of you being looked down upon. You are my life; those old fossils on the board think they can jerk us around just because we don't have a conventional relationship and I won't stand for that."

Fate could see Nanoha beginning to relax and was thankful her explanation was soothing the hurt she unintendedly caused her lover.

Sneaking her hand forward she took Nanoha's hand and continued, "Just like I won't let strangers hurt you Nanoha, surely you know I'd never let my own family do that. You've told me how Yuuno let his family abuse you. Do you think Alicia or Einhart would even try? Or any of the other people I love like family, the Harlaowns, the Nakajimas, the Starks, Teana, Erio, Caro, Rein. We are not that kind of family. They all love and respect you. When Alicia was trying to set us up and tried to use the girls against us I put a firm stop to that. I won't allow anyone try to manipulate you through your child.

As for my so-called take down of the Scryas, I am sad to admit I didn't have to do much. They had enemies everywhere but all were too afraid to be the first to step forward. All I had to do was give them a safe place to deposit their _evidence_ and then correlate it and send it to the proper authorities. I didn't have to bribe anyone or hire spies; Arf's friends didn't want paying. A couple of them already had their eye on the family but couldn't get enough evidence to do anything. The only money I spent was on postage."

Nanoha wasn't surprised at the admission, Noriko had many enemies and was relieved Fate hadn't lowered herself to the Scryas' level but couldn't help asking, "Why didn't you tell me how wealthy you are?"

Fate for some reason found this question amusing and asked, "Are you a reverse snob Nanoha? Do you look down on the wealthy? Would you have refused to marry me if you knew how much I was really worth? I know you didn't marry me for my money but would you reject me because of it?"

Nanoha glared at her wife who was now looking up at her with her head resting on the bed, eyes twinkling with amusement.

Sighing Nanoha knew she was being an idiot, "No, I wouldn't have rejected you. I love you. I love who you are as a person, not your bank account. It just struck me as ironic how similar my position is compared to my prior marriage. I have nothing of worth to offer you. Honestly Fate, everything I have is nothing but a drop in the bucket for you but I've fought so hard for it."

There was a deep sadness in Nanoha's eyes when she reflected on her life, "My family might have some distinction amongst the old families but it's firmly middle class. I only have my bachelor degree, never having the chance to finish my masters. I have a decent reputation in our field but nothing compared to yours. I have few powerful friends or associates, socially I am as common as they come. So why do I attract people so high above me? Am I just some cute pet that the wealthy want to keep as some kind of prize? Yuuno kept me until he finally got bored, his family would have kept me around longer just to milk me for what little distinction I could bring them."

Crawling onto the bed Fate pulled her wife into her arms and pressed their foreheads together, "I know why I want you and it has nothing to do with money, power or social distinction. Maybe because I have always known those things I can't really appreciate how vital they can be to others. I've never been hungry for more like some people, all I ever wanted was a peaceful quiet life. At least until I met you, you made me want more, made me want you.

Nanoha, you are the living embodiment of all that is good in the world. When you smile at me I feel no pain or fear. When you hold me all I feel is warmth and security. Security not just from harm but the security of your love. Lots of people love me but something about you calls to something in me. You are my other half, as our little nut-ball friend likes to say, you are my soul mate. I want you because you make me complete."

Letting a hand tease at Nanoha's shirt buttons Fate continued, "Now as to what Yuuno saw in you? I am going to give him the benefit of the doubt and say he was fairly intelligent heterosexual male so I would assume he was attracted to your physical beauty. I hope he recognized your lively nature and talent as an artist but considering his behavior that might be wishful thinking on my part. Assuming it was just your looks I can say his family pointing him in your direction couldn't have been much of a hardship. You said he could be a brat so he had to find you acceptable on some level or I'd assume he would have cried to mummy that you weren't in his league.

Though it's obvious to me he never truly appreciated how special you are, if had he never would have let anyone hurt you, never cheated on you. A truly smart man would have run off with you and told his family to take a flying leap. Would have treated you the way you deserve, with love and respect. To let anyone use you and jerk you around like he did just proves how differently we each see you. To him you were a means to an end. To me you are everything, the path and the destination. Only with you can I have what I have desperately tried not to hope or dream for: a real life, a family, a home."

Fate's eyes shone with love, pain and determination making Nanoha squirm a little but she couldn't look away as Fate spoke, "You are no pet or prize; you are my partner, my lover, my wife, my most important person. I really don't like being compared to him Nanoha. I find it incredibly offensive and I hope this will be the last time you do this. How would you feel if I compared you to my mother? There is no way I'd ever do that because I know you'd never hurt me or our children. You may be stubborn but if you ever found yourself in a position where you wanted to hurt a person you love I know you'd seek help."

Tearing her gaze away Nanoha shut her eyes and burrowed her face in Fate's neck. Hiding from the pained look in Fate's eyes as Nanoha placed a hand on her stomach trying not to cry. She thought about the babies growing in her. She thought of the abuse Fate suffered and felt ill at just the thought of a similar fate befalling them, not just at her hand but at anyone's. If someone tried to hurt them she'd kill or at the very least maim the perpetrator. To compare Fate to her own abuser was wrong beyond all belief. Fate was the complete opposite of Yuuno, why was she being so stupid? Ugh stupid hormones! Stupid insecurities! This was Fate, the person who loves her; she had to stop thinking this way!

Fate could feel Nanoha's body tremble as she worked through her words and pulled her in tighter, kissing her ear before whispering, "I love you. Nothing will ever change that."

Sliding an arm around Fate's neck and using the hand that was had been on her stomach to pull Fate's hand to rest there with it needing the reassurance of Fate's touch as she finally admitted regretfully, "I've been pretty stupid haven't I? Why do you put up with me?"

Smiling Fate nudged Nanoha out of her nook and kissed her, "Because you put up with my stupidity," then she dipped her head down to lick Nanoha's neck and teased, "Because you taste good."

Nanoha squirmed and giggled at the touch, "Fate-chan stop! I am trying to be serious."

Sitting up Fate looked down at her wife and shook her head, "You've been far too serious for one day mio amore. We've talk this out and it won't do either of us any good to keep harping on it. I didn't think about your opinions today and hurt you. I promise I won't do that again. You had every right to get upset, while I didn't appreciate the Scrya analogy I understand it and hope never give you any reason to compare me to that idiot again. Now I want you to sit up and eat your lunch. Then we are going back to our room, I don't think Vivio would be very happy if we did _anything_ in her bed."

Winking at her wife Fate retreated from the room to give them both time to settle their minds. Being compared to Yuuno had hurt but the more she thought about her recent behavior she could see how she could set off Nanoha's fears. It was one thing to protect her wife; it was a whole other thing to forget all about discussing matters with her and decide unilaterally how things should be handled. Nanoha wasn't her pet to be kept and played with; she was her wife with her own opinions and ambitions. She would not forget this again; she never wanted Nanoha to doubt her respect for her mind or decisions.

~"~"~"~

Lord Hückebein was a large man, six foot six inches, three pounds of muscle gracefully transitioning into a soft paunch. His straw colored hair was taking on a silvery sheen due to his advancing years but he still had a full head of hair cut in a military burr. His golden eyes gleamed with intelligence and a warm geniality. He was visiting his favorite artist in her new home trying to understand how she had come to blows with his daughter.

His daughter, spoiled little brat that she could be had come crying that Fate had struck her. He had seen the bruises and normally that would have been enough to involve the authorities but the perpetrator was a woman he considered family. He had known the woman since she was a child and knew her not to be a violent woman. Cypha had to have done something to set her off, the only question was what?

He drank his tea and sampled the delicious pastries placed before him as Fate Testa… ah no, it was now Takamachi…as Fate explained to him why she found it necessary to physically assault his child. The story she told was markedly different from the one Cypha told him. Nowhere had she been invited to the home. He winced when Fate got to the part where Cypha struck out first only to then be pulled off her victim by the concerned _pregnant_ spouse. His furrowed brow and shake of the head when Fate described how his daughter then turned her wrath on said pregnant woman denoted the shame and pain he felt at his daughter's actions. She made him feel ill. His daughter had gone too far this time. He had forgiven her petulance far too many times out of love of her mother but no more.

Considering Fate's past he had to give the young woman credit for restraining herself to the few blows she struck. If he had been in her place he would not have stopped until the perpetrator was completely broken and bleeding then called the authorities to remove the smeared leftovers from his property. Fate truly was a woman of infinite patience and forgiveness but he suspected her restraint had more to do with her wife's intervention in this instance. The way the auburn haired woman was petting her hair and held her as she spoke seemed to be the only tether on her temper.

"My Lord Hückebein, I will only ask this of you once. Please keep your daughter away from me and my family. If she comes again to try and do my wife or any of my loved ones harm I will not stop at a few punches. I was only able to restrain myself this one time because my wife distracted me. In the future if she comes near I will not be dissuaded from my course of action. Nanoha is a month pregnant; the further along she gets the greater will be my reaction to anyone trying to harm her. As it is I have already broken a man's wrist in her defense and we weren't even dating at the time. Cypha is truly lucky to have escaped this house without a broken limb; I was getting ready to do just that when Nanoha stopped me."

The man nodded gravely and said, "I understand your position and agree with it. I will inform Cypha she is to leave you be, to do otherwise will mean losing her title. I have long hoped she would mature and settle down but she is nearly twenty five now, the age of ascension and she has not shown the kind of maturity needed for her role. Depending on how she responds to my decree she may force my hand and I will be searching for a new heir. If that is the case she will have nothing but her mother's legacy and that will not keep her for long."

Proving she wasn't completely hard-hearted Fate suggested, "If it comes to that I suggest you offer her a small stipend dependant on the condition she never comes to Japan again. To lose her title and wealth may make her desperate for revenge. I'd rather not have to deal with her if it comes to that. She is used to a certain level of comfort along with the respect her title affords her, to reduce her to what she'd consider a pauper could only end with more grief for everyone."

Nodding his agreement, "We will see how things progress. For now I will be delaying her ascension to my position. I had hoped to retire and let her take over the responsibilities in the district. Ah well I still have Ixpellia to help me, dear child that she is. Pity she isn't of noble stock, she would have made a great Lady."

Thinking of the girl in question Fate agreed with the great Lady part. Fate knew she had to point out the flawed thinking that blood mattered, "My Lord Hückebein I must respectfully disagree. Ixpellia's parentage should not matter. True her parents were commoners but did they not serve house Hückebein loyally? Has she not taken every favor and advantage given to her and used it to her best advantage and brought honor to your house? If you insist on restricting your decision to those of your bloodline I fear you will soon be dooming it to failure. No offense to you but the younger generation from which you have to choose is a degenerate lot. Remember your line came into possession of the house from a former Lord's gamekeeper's son who proved more worthy than any of the house. True nobility is not inherent in the blood; it is shown in a person's character and actions."

The stately old man frowned but listened to Fate's argument. Sighing he responded, "It was a time of war and the sons of the house were a cowardly lot. I do not know if I could get the needed votes to have her accepted as my heir from the council."

Leaning forward to look the noble man in the eyes she pressed her point, "Could or want? Remember it falls to you to ensure the security of your people. The last thing to be remembered of a former ruler is what kind of successor he chooses to follow him. Your father still is praised for how excellently he trained you for leadership. What will the people say of you in ten years if Cypha rules as she currently behaves?"

Shifting in his seat uncomfortably Lord Hückebein tried not to shudder at that thought. Clearing his throat he tried to change the subject, "It remains to be seen if this course of action will be necessary. I thank you for your consideration and advice. Now I wish to speak to you about something equally important to me, have you decided who will stand as the godparents for your daughters?"

Nanoha was confused as to why this great man cared about whether their daughters had godparents, "Forgive me Lord Hückebein but how does this matter affect you?"

Smiling at the opening Lord Hückebein explained, "Because your wife is my goddaughter."

Rolling her eyes and pointing at the man Fate said, "Not officially. You claimed to be my "godfather" after I left the church. I was never baptized with you as my official godfather, there was no formal ceremony so don't even think of trying to use your unofficial position to make a claim on my children."

Giving her his best hurt papa face he said, "Bärchen please. { **Little Bear** } I only want what's best for them"

Fate shook her head, "No, I won't let you use my children as some kind of political token. I don't even want to think about who you'd suggest. Besides who says we are even going to have godparents, neither of us are Christians."

Snorting, "Of course you are a Christian Bärchen, you live your life according to the teachings of Christ even if you do not go to the church."

Raising her eyebrows at this declaration she pointed to Nanoha and said, "And how do you account for the fact that I am married to another woman? As far as I remember Sister Olga always said homosexuals will burn in the eternal flames of hell."

He waved his hand at this as if to dismiss the point and said, "Sister Olga, your sister's antics drove her mad, what did you expect her to say? I am sure she'd be the first to be among those to bless your children."

Fate didn't appear convinced, "More likely she'd try to drown them in the fount. The woman is a fanatic."

Nanoha could see this argument was going nowhere and wondering what benefit it would gain their children to have godparents she asked, "Why should we have godparents? Like Fate-chan said, neither of are practicing Christians so it doesn't really make sense for us to do this. Honestly all I was thinking of doing was naming a guardian for them if anything happened to us."

"Frau Nanoha, in the society Fate was born into godparents are more than a religious figure. They help the child socially and financially, and provide them guidance throughout their lives. Think of them as a second pair of parents who wish for them to succeed in all they do and will be an active part of their lives, not just step in if something happens to you."

Nanoha liked this idea and Fate could see she was being swayed so pointed out, "Mio amore, if you want to do something like this we can. We don't have to use anyone Lord Hückebein suggests."

"Ah Bärchen, why are you being so difficult? Have I been such a bad Pate?" he asked with doleful eyes. { **Godfather** }

"You really don't want to hear my answer sturer Bock," Fate replied stonily. { **Stubborn old goat** }

The pair went on like this for a few minutes longer the older man becoming more and more maudlin until Fate cracked up laughing, "Okay, okay Pate. Who do you have in mind? I am not saying yes to them but I will listen."

He then gave the name of a number of notables, all of whom she despised and wouldn't let near her children even if someone paid her. The look of horrified disbelief at some of the names along with the complete rejection of his list made the older man sigh in defeat, "Fine, fine be that way. Do not cry to me when your children do not get into their first choice of school or end up marrying a street-sweeper."

"Pate, if my children can't get into a school on their own merit then they do not need to go to that school. As long as my daughters marry for love I don't care if their partner is a street-sweeper. There is more to life than social climbing, I want my girls to be happy, healthy and know they are loved. I have humored you long enough, now go home and deal with _your_ daughter. Hanging around here stalling isn't getting the job done," Fate said getting up and giving the man her hand to help him up.

Grumbling about ungrateful children he pulled himself up. Walking him to the door Fate tried to get back in the right frame of mind, "Ahem Lord Hückebein, I thank you for your visit. I hope there will be no further clashes between our houses. I wish only for the best for you and your house."

Smiling fondly at the blonde he replied in return, "Bärchen, we don't always have to be so formal you know."

Hugging the man she sighed, "Pate, you always get me to do the most unreasonable things when I relax around you. I won't be lead around by my nose this time. Go home, you can visit me anytime you like but keep that rotzbengel you call a daughter away from here. She's not welcome around me or mine anymore." { **Snotty brat** }

Bowing to her he gave his own formal goodbyes and left. Closing the door Fate sagged against it and shut her eyes with fatigue, the Hückebeins were all a handful. A lifetime of dealing with them still hadn't inured her to their brand of insanity.

Nanoha came over to her and asked with a teasing gleam in her eyes, "Couldn't he just name you his heiress? I think Lady Fate sounds rather nice."

Opening her eyes at this remark Fate could see her wife's eyes gleaming with humor, with a faux growl Fate pounced on her, "You would. You'd probably think it'd be funny to stick me in a room full of stuffy Belkan nobility. How in the world that country maintained its independence all these years is beyond me. It's got to be one of the most backward countries I've ever visited. So please mio amore never joke about me being Lady Anything there. More than one of those old Lords might think it's a great idea."

Stretching onto the tip of her toes Nanoha kissed Fate's forehead and became more serious, "I didn't realize you two were that close. Do you really think he'd name you his heiress if I suggested it? I was rather surprised when he started calling by pet names, what does it mean anyway?"

Fate shuddered briefly and hugged Nanoha tight, "I honestly think he'd at least try. So don't even whisper the idea."

Then a softness crossed Fate's face as she smiled thinking of Nanoha's other question. The warmth in her eyes showing how much that pet name actually meant to her, "My nickname means, little bear. He used to say I was like a little teddy bear that Alicia would tote around everywhere with her. I never spoke a word and would just cuddle up next to her as if I was one of her stuff toys. Of course it became something of a joke once I knocked one of his grooms on his rear end when he tried to steal a kiss from me. Told the boy, 'Never mess with a bear unless you want to be mauled,' I am supposedly cute and cuddly but dangerous when annoyed."

Giggling at this description, "That's amazingly appropriate for you. So I guess he's the reason why you understand a smattering of German. How did you meet this family anyway?"

Pulling Nanoha gently by the waist back to the couch Fate answered, "I was about twelve; my father was on a grand tour and was dragging me and Alicia around with him. It was during that tour I met the Harlaowns and was beginning my apprenticeship. Harlaown-sensei was good friends with Lord Hückebein and gave my father an introduction. He had recently lost his wife, and his daughter had been severely injured in the accident. I proved to be one of the few people the young Lady Cypha could stand to be around after losing her eye. She felt damaged and I could relate to that."

Cuddling on the couch with Fate, Nanoha couldn't help teasing a little and said, "And so yet another young girl fell for your charms. I begin to wonder who the bigger heartbreaker between you and Alicia really is."

Fate groaned, "Please don't joke like that. I honestly do nothing to encourage people."

Kissing Fate in apology Nanoha snuggled into her, "I know that love. I nearly died of a heart attack the first time you flirted with me, even if it was on accident."

"Not so much an accident as my not thinking and just saying what was really on my mind. You truly are my darling. I had been falling for you for a while and honestly waking up with you in my arms made me wonder why I fought so hard to stay single. My only concern was if the care you showed for me was of a friendship only nature or if you could actually be attracted to me. The last thing I wanted was to push you away by pressuring you for a more intimate relationship," Fate admitted as she nuzzled her wife.

The pair laid tangled together for a while enjoying the warmth and company. Finally a soft grumble of a stomach made them get up. Fate knew it was time to feed her wife before she went on a rampage. The fact that her stomach was already growling meant she might already be in trouble.

Nanoha sat at the table and began thinking about how truly famous Fate was. She had heard of Fate before they met, had seen a number of her pieces in the homes of her in-laws' friends and associates. Why hadn't they met before they started working together? Fate was exactly the kind of person Noriko would have loved to collect; name dropping was her favorite pastime.

When her beloved returned with their meal Nanoha couldn't help asking, "Fate-chan how was it that we never met at a party or some function? You obviously don't just stay in Japan full time. Didn't the Scryas ever invite you to one of their functions?"

Surprised by this question Fate answered without thinking, "I avoided them."

"What?! Why? Surely they would have been amongst some of the best clients you could have had?"

Fate sat back further confused by Nanoha's line of questioning but did her best to explain, "I met Lucas Scrya only once before he died and I will be honest I'm thankful he was the only member of the Scrya clan I had the misfortune to meet until Vice Granscenic. I've never considered you or Vivio Scryas Nanoha. Vivio might have the blood but she doesn't act like one, I can only be thankful you have been such a strong role model for her."

Fate thought about the man who was once upon a time Nanoha's father-in-law and shuddered in disgust, "Nothing could have induced me to go to any of their functions after meeting him. I was just about to graduate from university and was searching for something to do with my life beyond just commissioned work when I was invited to meet the man regarding a job. It was only later, during the interview, that I realized he was propositioning me to be his mistress. Slimy piece of work, I can only begin to wonder how many illegitimate children he had with less scrupulous women."

Pausing Fate gave Nanoha a look of concern then admitted, "I may have sent your former mother-in-law more than just one anonymous note in the past. I have no idea if my suspicions have any grounds but it wasn't long after I sent my letter that Lucas died in a "tragic accident" and Noriko took over as head of the family. Hearing about the "accident" put me off the family completely."

This was a revelation, Fate had known her former father-in-law; the man had been a weak willed rodent of a man. It was surprising to hear he had the nerve to cheat on Noriko but if Fate's suspicions were correct then he must have hidden his liaisons quite well. At least until he made the mistake to proposition Fate.

"Huh, I always wondered if there was more to the story. Noriko wasn't exactly a grieving widow when Lucas died. Oh and she was always the head of the family Fate-chan, even when Lucas was alive nothing happened without her permission. I'm actually surprised he had the nerve to cheat on her. Of course their marital affairs weren't something I ever wanted to think about," Nanoha said the last with a face of revulsion.

Then a thought struck her, "Fate-chan, were you concerned about working with a Scrya? Did you try to get out of it?"

Fate tried to remember if she had felt any concern when she saw the name on the CV when Yanagi showed it to her. No, she hadn't paid the name all that much attention. If she had she would have been more struck by the Takamachi portion of Nanoha's name. She had been struck by the samples of work submitted, the number of awards the woman had received despite having only a limited amount of formal education.

"No, truthfully Nanoha I couldn't have told you what name was on the CV, I read it but I was more concerned with your qualifications. They are superb; I was shocked someone like you would even want to work in our firm. I do it because it's a labor of love but you are truly an amazing ad designer. You should be working for a more prestigious firm in Tokyo or back in New York or London. My biggest fear was you'd think working with me was a step down from the more professional ad designers you've work with before."

"You really didn't know my name? Yet you were still able to think I was too good to work with someone like you?" Nanoha's voice was filled with disbelief.

"Um, yes…Nanoha, don't you remember how shocked I was when we met? How I mentioned you looking like your mom? It was only after Yanagi introduced us and I actually saw you that I put two and two together. If I had paid the slightest attention to your name before then I really might have tried to avoid the meeting. But not because of the Scrya part of your name, your family is overwhelming. I would have been terrified of working with a Takamachi. In fact I nearly had a gibbering fit with Alicia that first day during lunch. I was trying to figure out a way to escape the terrible Takamachi. It was your credentials that distracted me, I had been praying for a week that I wasn't about to make a huge fool of myself in front of a real professional."

"You didn't seem all that scared of me. In fact I remember you defending me from Alicia's weird flirting and from my own family's teasing that first day."

"Nanoha I was terrified of you most of the morning, I went into my invisibility mode. I was trying to blend in with the furniture in fear that you would pull a Miyuki and tackle me or something. The only reason I lightened up at all on the fear factor was because Alicia, her flirting with you set me on edge. I had to work with you; her trying to get in your pants would only make things insanely more awkward. I don't think I've ever hit Alicia before in my life, but without thinking I cuffed her around the head the same way she does Einhart. I normally berate her for that but I would have duct taped her mouth shut if I had had any. Thinking back I am pretty sure that's why she flirted with you in the first place. She knew I would freak out and concentrate on that and try to form some kind of professional gap between us."

"But that still doesn't explain why you protected me," Nanoha pointed out.

Fate knew why she did that, quietly Fate spoke as she played with her food, "Your eyes."

Nanoha noticed the blush now growing on her wife's face, there was no way she wasn't going to press for a better answer, "What about my eyes?"

Looking up into the sparkling sapphires Fate said, "From the first time I looked into your eyes I saw something in them. Maybe it was the loneliness we both experienced; maybe it was the pure compassion and acceptance you have in abundance. Maybe it was one of the hundreds of other things I see in your eyes but as scared as I was I felt a connection to you right from the start. I didn't know what it meant or why it happened but I instinctively wanted to protect you. You didn't treat me like any of the people who came before. You were patient with me; you reached out but didn't try to force me into a corner. As terrifying as the idea of you being who you are was when I looked into your eyes I saw someone I could trust."

Nanoha got up and pushed back Fate's chair so she could sit straddling her lap. Wrapping her arms around Fate's neck she bent her head and kissed her wife long and deep. Fate held her around the waist and opened herself completely to the kiss.

Pulling back panting for air Nanoha said, "I swear you have got to be the smoothest talker I know. Every time I think I am going to get you to dig yourself into a hole you just end up baiting it and I jump right into it with you."

Fate couldn't help teasing, "Well I'd get lonely without you down there. You've got me addicted to you, it wouldn't be right to leave me all alone."

~"~"~"~

A/N2: I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. Things are now pretty unsettled for our pair work-wise but at least now they are on the same page and will now discuss where they want to go from here. Next chapter we will see some more pregnancy fluff and maybe Nanoha's birthday…we'll see. Sooner or later it will be featured because of a special gift Fate still needs to present to her. Please review and let me know how I am doing. Is there anything you want more of? At this point, the story has as many chapters as it needs to get through the pregnancy and birth. So I can drag it out or wrap this up quickly depending on the feedback I get.


	21. Chapter 21 The More Things Change

A/N: Hello everyone, sorry about the delay in uploading, been busy with work. You'll be happy to know while I was waiting for this to be beta'd I was working on the next chapter and its about 90% done so the next update shouldn't be too long in coming. Please review and let me know what you think. I love feedback and it will help me extend the story more.

Oh and HAPPY BIRTHDAY NANOHA, March 15th is just around the corner and this chapter includes her birthday celebration.

Thanks to Kuraa for beta'ing the chapter.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot; I'm just playing in the MGLN sandbox.

~"~"~"~

Chapter 21: The More Things Change

Nanoha was laying on the couch reading but her mind was wandering. She was considering this week a mini-vacation while Yanagi dealt with the backlash in the office. She hoped come Monday she and Fate would be able to go back to work. If not it would be due to one of two reasons. The good but annoying reason would be because Yanagi had convinced the board she and Fate were being _hormonal_ due to the pregnancy and needed to be on medical leave. In a year's time they would be allowed to return but expected to work their tails off to make up for the missing time. The _other_ reason would be because they no longer had jobs.

Fate had explained carefully how well off they were and how there was no reason to be concerned. In fact Fate had contacted her financial advisor and had her go over all their holdings. Then she went over Nanoha's pittance of a savings and her mortgage on the house. Everything was optimized and there was now no debt hanging over their heads. The mind numbing amount of money put into the trust funds for all the children would pay for their schooling, even at an Ivy League school. The thing that had annoyed Nanoha the most though during this discussion was Fate's assumption that all her wealth was now equally Nanoha's.

Worse Alicia had to come and reaffirmed not only this idea but the legality of it. Nanoha was given joint custody of Einhart, just in case something happened to the sisters. Then full signature authorization on all their accounts. She was horrified at the idea of having full access to these women's bank accounts. She could sell anything, could buy anything she wanted, no questions asked. It was enough to make her dizzy the insane amount of trust both women had in her. Though it was strangely heartening when Alicia pointed out she already trusted Nanoha with something more precious to her than money or property, her baby sister.

No, financial worries apparently were a thing of the past. Her worry now was whether she would go stir-crazy before or after the babies were born. She wasn't the jet-setting type, besides too much travel could hurt the babies. She could take on commission work or just play around with her art. Or maybe go back to school; she wondered what Fate would think of that. She closed the book and set it on the table, she was getting antsy, she needed a focus.

Just then her perfectly oblivious wife came in with that perfectly happy smile of hers. How can she be so calm all the time? Nanoha felt a twitch beginning to develop at the corner of her eye. She was a woman use to having two or three projects going at once and balancing her home life. This situation was untenable; she wouldn't survive a week as a "kept woman." There was a reason why the Scryas had let her go back to school in the end.

Fate wasn't all that oblivious; she recognized her wife had more energy than a Jack Russell Terrier on crack. Her energy levels might be fluctuating due to the pregnancy but that mind of hers needed something to keep it busy or there would be hell to pay. Fate loved her wife but had no wish to be her personal sock puppet keeping her entertained all day long. That meant finding something for her to do that wasn't too strenuous but would keep her occupied for the majority of the day.

There was a list of options to work through, all with the assumption they weren't going back to their jobs on Monday. Nanoha needed a plan, an objective. She might like doing certain things on the fly but her life really needed a purpose or she'd start really freaking out. Fate could understand this on a certain level. If she lost the ability to paint she'd be in hell, a terrible limbo trying to find a new ability to focus her mind on. She wouldn't truly go mad as long as Nanoha was by her side, with Nanoha she knew she'd be able to find that new focus. She just hoped Nanoha would give her equal trust in this matter.

Settling next to her wife on the couch, she tried to think of the most diplomatic way of opening the conversation when Nanoha beat her to the punch.

"So have you heard back from Yanagi-san?" Nanoha's voice was tinged with worry and tension.

Shifting so she could look Nanoha in the eyes Fate said, "Mio amore, I am not very hopeful. It's already Thursday and they should have already made a decision. Yanagi says there is a divide amongst the members of the board. Most know there really isn't much of a decision to make. We're not in the wrong. Lord Hückebein has withdrawn Cypha's complaint against us. He has even had her publically apologize for her behavior. At this point those who want to get rid of me are grasping at straws for reasons to terminate. They'll continue searching while keeping us on "administrative leave pending an investigation into a complaint.""

Trying to sound reasonable and not flippant Fate went on, "At this point I think it'd be best to put in our resignations due to your pregnancy. It will look better for you when you begin looking for a new employer than being terminated on some trumped up charge. I know you don't like this option but resignation really seems to be the best thing to do at this time. When they are done squabbling with each other they'll come back begging for you to work for them again."

"But not you? You don't think they'd come begging for you back?" Nanoha asked quietly, unsure why this thought hurt so much.

Shaking her head Fate said, "No, I cause too much trouble. Honestly Yanagi had his hands full keeping me employed. Until you came I worked alone for the most part. I've caused four talented artists to quit over the years. I am too much of a liability."

"I don't believe that. Fate-chan you are the best artist I've ever worked with. They shouldn't be treating you this way," Nanoha said with a touch of anger in her voice.

Taking her hand Fate tried to sooth her, "Nanoha, just because you know how to handle me doesn't mean other do. Most people working with me find me "off putting." Well, that's the polite way of saying I freak the heck out of them. Think about it, that first week or two when we first started working together. Didn't you think I was weird?"

Nanoha scooted closer to Fate so she could snuggle into the hollow of her body. Pulling the blonde around her like a blanket she snuggled in before continuing the conversation, "No, I didn't think you were weird. I thought you were utterly fascinating. I might have wished for a better understanding of how your mind works but I still have that problem a year on. You really can drive me crazy with those leaps of imagination you have but I like it too. We can be stuck then suddenly you come up with something from left field and we're back on track again."

Kissing the back of Nanoha's head Fate said, "You are beyond special, you are a miracle. You are my personal angel. Five years I worked in that office and only a handful of people came to learn how to work with me. I made such a bad impression my first month in the office most hate me and still think I am a stuck up bitch."

Nanoha jerked up at the curse word, Fate didn't use profanity. Turning around she saw there was a deep regret in her burgundy eyes that people still thought so badly of her. In recent months people had stopped audibly sniping at her and even a few of the newer employees were developing crushes on her. A few of the older employees were attracted to Fate but their attraction had more to do with her wealth and prestige, they wanted her for what she could _give_ them.

Curious Nanoha asked, "What happened? Back when you started with the company, why do so many people think so badly of you? If they took even a minute to get to know you they'd know you are the most compassionate and generous person on Earth."

Not really wanting to talk about this Fate searched for a distraction. Almost laughing to herself Fate's eyes took on a mischievous gleam and she asked, "Nanoha, I am not so much generous as easily manipulated by Takamachis. Your family has had me jumping through hoops since day one. You are probably the worst of the lot because you don't even realize you're doing it."

Annoyed by this obvious ploy to distract her Nanoha shifted to look Fate in the eyes and asked again, "Fate-chan, what happened? I want to work there still but I'm concerned over how they treat you. If the higher ups are really out to get you I want to know why."

Knowing Nanoha deserved the truth Fate sighed and shifted some more to make Nanoha more comfortable, it was a long story after all. Licking her suddenly dry lips Fate tried to begin, "You have to understand the whole situation started before I even began working for the company. I didn't know it but I created a feeding frenzy when I let it be known I wanted to work in the advertizing industry."

Nanoha rested her head on Fate's chest holding her tightly to reassure her nothing she said would change how she felt for her.

Stroking Nanoha's hair Fate continued, "I was already living with the dubious reputation Harlaown-sensei gifted me. It kept people from bothering me too much but also put a wall between me and others. Then there were the rumors still floating around thanks to Quattro which seemed to fill in some blanks left in Harlaown-sensei's story about me. My abrupt "break-up" with Chrono and his marriage to another soon after, left many wondering exactly what kind of person I was."

Frowning to herself as she tried to look back on the craziness of the time, "Dad had just passed away and had left most of his estate to me. Alicia received most of mother's estate but we decided to pool everything and let one manager handle everything. So we had a huge pool of resources at our fingertips. We didn't have to work and that's where things started to go downhill for us. No one took us seriously, what did two little rich kids want jobs for?

It was even worse for Alicia, she became a model in high school in an effort to distract people from me. Now she has always been a "science nerd" and wanted to teach. She's great at research but feels uncomfortable doing it because she's worried it will alienate me. I've never had a problem with her research as long as she doesn't come home smelling of chemicals. Anyway her modeling caused a lot of people to see her as just another dumb blonde. Not someone you'd want teaching your children."

"So here we are rich beyond belief, both with a decent amount of recognition in the arts but we wanted real jobs. We applied just like normal people for a number of positions. At first we got lots of callbacks but quickly realized they didn't want us as normal employees. We were to be walking billboards for the companies, spokeswomen if you will."

"These people actually thought I'd be jumping for joy to go to parties and chat up prospective clients for them. I wanted to be pushed creatively, not made into their organ grinder's monkey. It wasn't much better for Alicia; she would never be allowed to teach science because of her reputation. The only way she'd get to work for a school would be if she'd be a liaison to help her _students_ enter the modeling industry. Lots of schools pointed out she'd be a real assets for the ones with performance programs."

Nanoha could hear the bitterness in Fate's voice when she spoke of Alicia's dreams being trampled. She was use to being disappointed but Alicia losing her chance at happiness because she had done something to protect her hurt. The entire idea was pure Alicia; it was inevitable that the plan would blow up in her face.

"So Alicia decided to give up on the teaching dream and concentrate on her modeling and managing our mother's medical patents. She would oversee our funding of research programs and live the life of a dissolute play girl. Her words. I swear I could have screamed at her for being so flippant but she was doing her best not to show her disappointment. Of course this just made matters worse for both of us with her behavior further muddying the water."

Nanoha remember the gossips on her first day talking about Alicia's womanizing and how Fate might be the same way. The whole thing had seemed so stupid; Fate didn't give off those vibes in the least. She'd dealt with womanizers before and even Alicia didn't seem that bad, a consummate flirt who took advantage of the situation. She didn't try to pressure women into sleeping with her.

"I had a lot of unsettling interviews and was ready to just wash my hands of the whole idea when I received a call from Nishihara, the senior VP of the company asking me to visit him for an informal interview. I wasn't all that impressed with the man and he was giving me the same song and dance about being an asset to the company. I thanked him for his time and left."

"A week later I was at the university speaking with one of the professors when a fellow student of mine busted out of a conference room red faced with anger. I was pretty shocked, then the mild mannered Yanagi came out of the room looking as calm and serene as a summer day. He bowed to us and my professor asked him what had happened. Yanagi told us about how he told my classmate if he wanted to work for the company then he'd have to start as an apprentice and work his way up. The guy was from a wealthy family and was reasonably talented so had thought with his contacts he should be able to skip over some steps. I asked Yanagi if this method was how all his employees were treated. He said yes, anyone on his team had to go through an apprenticeship then had to work with a senior designer before moving up the ranks."

"I was impressed with him; he wasn't flustered by my family's name or my so called reputation and looked over my portfolio with real interest. He pointed out where I still needed to improve and my strengths. I hadn't gotten that kind of mentoring in a long time. The professors were mostly intimidated by me and no one wanted to tell me if I was doing something wrong. I wanted to work for Yanagi and asked if he would consider me for his open position."

"He was surprised because he knew Nishihara had interviewed me and I declined his offer. He asked me why I wanted to work for him at a lower level with a significantly lower pay. I told him it wasn't about the money but the experience. I wanted to be pushed creatively; I wanted a real mentor again. As annoying as Harlaown-sensei could be he was a great mentor and I had few real masters I could look up to. Yanagi was surprised I would consider him a potential mentor but I pointed out he had been in this industry for longer than I had been alive so he obviously had more experience and I could learn from that alone. He might not be able to teach me techniques but he could help me sharpen my mind; focus my art so it gave a greater impact."

"He agreed to accept me on his team on a probationary basis; he needed to make sure this wasn't just a whim of mine. I showed up early and was happy to be working amongst other beginning ad designers. I wanted to learn but my reserve nature was more of a handicap than I realized. I would watch others working and seeing an interesting idea or making a leap from one thought to another I would create something of my own. I was accused of stealing ideas and of hampering other artists' work with my random tangents when working on projects."

"Yanagi came down and watched us for a week and saw what I was doing. I couldn't understand what it was I was doing that upset my colleagues. I hadn't even been there for a month when he pulled me in and asked if I would like to work one on one with one of his senior designers. I was surprised and asked if this was normal procedure. He said no but he thought I would do better this way. It wasn't much better. I drove the first man insane in a week. Poor Fujino was only two years away from retirement and I drove him up the wall with my "flights of fancy." To make matters worse my ideas were somehow exactly what the client wanted."

"Fujino told Yanagi to move me or he'd quit, he couldn't work with someone so unnerving. So I was moved to work with Naito another senior designer. We worked together for almost three weeks but that had more to do with his pride then our ability to work together. He didn't want to admit to being unnerved by a mere girl. After Naito was Seno, then Kawamoto, sigh…and then Nijima, they all hate me to this day for driving them insane with my _unsettling_ behavior."

"All during this time I was producing work of professional standards and making clients happy. I just couldn't keep a partner so Yanagi did something unorthodox; he assigned himself as my partner. I had my own small cubical set up near his office where I would work on our project then meet with him to discuss what needed to be changed, exchange ideas and talk. It was the best and worst time for me. I still hadn't made a single friend in the office and the rumor mill was rift with disgusting things about me."

"I skipped out of apprenticeship where I had a reputation as a thief. I had gone through all the senior designers and upset each and every one of them. Then I was given my own "office" and was made Yanagi's lap dog. I got to work on the best projects and was quickly moving up the salary scale. It was also at this time Alicia decided to work her way through a number of women in the office when she came to work for us as a freelance model."

"After a year this way I was ready to quit but Yanagi convinced me to stay and my productivity convinced the few naysayers on the board to let me continue as I was as long as Yanagi continued to try to find me a partner. Some potential partners went on to work with others on different teams spreading more malicious rumors, others quit. I soon decided if people wanted to see me as an Ice Queen or Ice Angel it would be best to just go along with it. I just wanted them to leave me alone. I got the occasional piece of sexual harassment artwork sent to me. People would snipe at me but I found if I just ignored them they would eventually leave me alone."

"Nanoha, there are few people I can work with, Zest and Shario both have similar backgrounds in trauma and we found a common ground to work on from there. It's not something I take for granted; the people who take the time to get to know me and respect me are too few. I've never had a relationship like ours, even before we became romantically involved. Exchanging ideas, trusting each other, compromising and debating points, no one has ever done those things with me except Yanagi and he always came from a position of power. I could only push him so far before I was scared of being insubordinate. With you I am an equal, we can push each other as far as our professionalism allows."

Snuggling Fate Nanoha teased her, "I didn't realize puppy eyes were considered a professional tool to get one's way?"

Kissing Nanoha's crown Fate teased back, "Yup, it's right up there with flirty kitty behavior to distract your opponent and get them to do things your way."

Lifting herself up and stretching like a cat Nanoha let out a small cat-like noise that made Fate blush. Heaven help her, her wife was going to be the death of her! Leaning forward to tease her wife some more Nanoha nuzzled Fate's neck and flicked her tongue across a sensitive spot making her shiver with desire. Pulling back Nanoha gave Fate a small kiss before settling on her lap to look down on her.

There was an amused look in Nanoha's eyes, "Fate-chan, you really are something else, you know that?"

"How so, mio amore?" the prone blonde asked lovingly.

"When I started working Noriko refused to let me go through the apprenticeship program. She pressured the company I started with to put in with the big boys right off the bat. In her mind whether I succeeded or failed she'd still win. If I succeeded it proved how superior I was to everyone else and that was why I was a Scrya bride. If I failed she'd have that to hold over my head and use it to manipulate me further."

Playing with Fate's shirt hem Nanoha continued, "I fought constantly against the bias and prejudice that came with this shortcut. I had to be better than everyone else, work twice as hard, be more competent, and have the highest level of professionalism. By the time I had to leave my first posting I had finally proven I wasn't just a pretty face with a powerful family of in-laws. I hadn't slept my way into my position. Not that the Scryas didn't try to make me feel like I had every chance they got."

Fate pulled Nanoha back down onto her to hold her close, whispering into her ear, "You are talented beyond anyone else I have ever met. You leave me astounded most days with the way you not only keep up with me but push me," squeezing Nanoha a little tighter to hush her Fate continued, "Mio amore, your work might not have the same level of detail as my own but it has a life to it that rivals mine. You put a part of yourself in everything you do. There are no half measures. Plus you know how to deal with people. I can barely handle presentations competently. You are far and away better than I in so many ways. I can't help but be thankful you choose me over the multitude of better candidates for your heart."

Shaking her head Nanoha sighed, "I really don't remember there being a stampede of suitors Fate-chan. I still say I am the lucky one."

Thinking over the prior year Fate could remember a number of men and women who had stared at Nanoha with covetous eyes. It had left her feeling uneasy and unsure of what to do. It was those longing looks that had made Fate so desperate some days to get closer to Nanoha. To stake some claim on her. Foolish and naïve as she was for not recognizing what was happening to her until Lucino and Alto purposefully separated her from Nanoha she had only thought to keep some small hold on her. What would she have done if someone had stolen her away? The thought sickened her.

"What do you say to agreeing to disagree on this point mio amore? Besides truthfully I'd say we are blessed to have found one another. To have this chance at happiness, I don't want to question it and have it taken away," Fate pointed out gently.

Shifting so she could kiss some small patch of skin before responding Nanoha agreed, "I won't argue with you about that love. I definitely don't want to lose this either."

Pressing one more kiss on Fate's neck Nanoha thought about all they talked about and finally came to a decision, "Fate-chan, I want to go back to school. I'm going to put my resignation in then look into nearby schools to finish my Masters."

Releasing a long breath of relief Fate said, "That sounds wonderful. Hmm, I wonder if I should look into teaching then. Maybe I could be your professor and we could work on an extra credit assignment together?"

The blush that came to Nanoha's cheeks at this idea made Fate laugh as Nanoha gave her wife a light smack on the shoulder and mutter, "Horrible. You are awful!"

Rolling them a little so Nanoha was now on the bottom Fate looked down on her lovingly, "Aww Nanoha, I didn't get to know you when you were in high school in that cute little schoolgirl uniform. I think it'd be fun to be your teacher and give you detention."

The lecherous wiggle of Fate's eyebrows made Nanoha giggle and pull her down for a kiss. The kiss quickly grew more heated and needy but was interrupted when the door to the house sprang open. The teens seeing the rumpled and flushed pair tangled on the couch immediately turned red and slammed the door closed.

Standing on the stoop the pair tried to avoid eye contact and searched for a way to escape the awkward situation. Einhart being the more stoic of the pair was the first to distract the pair from their traumatic experience, "Um how about we go to my house, we have a couple of new games and Cia-chan should be with Carim-sensei."

Jumping at the offer Vivio said, "That sounds great…"

The pair was about to step off the stoop when the door opened again. The amused look on Nanoha's face when she saw the teens turn red again just made matters worse.

"You two are so cute sometimes. Come on inside, Fate-chan is starting dinner. I promise we'll behave ourselves."

Vivio wondered if she was going to be this embarrassing to her own children someday. Probably, Einhart was just as bad as Fate in some ways and she was becoming more and more like Nanoha everyday according to everyone around her. Sighing the beleaguered teens entered the house and purposefully avoided the couch. God only knew what shenanigans their elders had been getting up to before they arrived.

Nanoha sat back down on the couch with that same cat that ate the canary smile she had been sporting off and on since she claimed Fate for her own. She truly was a demonic queen of her domain pinning the teens with her stare and _forcing_ them to sit before her. The pair took an arm chair each and sat upright wondering what new torment was about to befall them.

"You'll be happy to know Fate-chan and I have decided to resign from our jobs. The way some of the people there treated her was unacceptable to me and after talking with her about her past there it was an easy decision. I am going to go back to school as soon as it can be arranged. As for Fate-chan I am not exactly sure what she is planning, she will be looking into some other options but she has plenty to keep her busy even if she doesn't take on another full time job."

Vivio was relieved to hear her mother had finally made a decision and wasn't waiting for the company to make it for her. Learning more of what was going on at their workplace and how they were treated made her want her mom to quit. They didn't deserve to have Fate or her mom working for them.

Einhart smiled at the woman who brought her cousin to life, happy with the decision. She had been worried this situation would turn into another funk for one of the women adding more stress when neither one needed it. That they had worked out what they wanted without becoming moody and reserved was a definite step up in their relationship.

Fate came out of the kitchen at that moment and seeing her family all arranged comfortably smiled at them, "Hello girls, did you have a good day at school?"

The happy chirp from Vivio always made Fate laugh. Einhart's more coherent response was as ever succinct but heartfelt. Saving them from Nanoha's devious attention she said, "Why don't you two get changed and wash up then come to the kitchen to help."

Both jumped up at this chance to escape and went upstairs at a quick pace making Nanoha pout, "Mou Fate-chan! I wanted to tease them some more."

Leaning over to kiss the pouting lips quickly Fate smiled at the cuteness, "I love you diavolo bianco. Be a good girl and read your book. We'll call you when dinner's ready."

Nanoha wouldn't admit it even under torture but she was beginning to like her childhood nickname when Fate said it in Italian. For appearance sake Nanoha stuck her tongue out at Fate and settled back on the couch again to read.

~"~"~"~

Fate had to admit having Nanoha back in school made it so much easier for her to complete her birthday present. Going to her studio to work on her hidden project without Nanoha suspecting anything was a relief. After a week the painting finally felt complete to her and she let it properly dry before wrapping it up for presentation. The next question was whether it would be safe to hide the portrait at home or leave it where it was. Not trusting her curious kitty-wife wouldn't try to sneak a peek at her gift she hid it once more in a safe nook.

Nanoha was enjoying school and was making some new friends. Most of them were like her, career women who were coming back to complete their degrees so they could forward their careers. There was unfortunately one man who didn't seem to understand all Nanoha had to offer was friendship. It didn't matter to him she was married (especially to another woman) or that she was pregnant. He rather annoyingly pointed out her children would need a strong male role model to grow up properly.

Despite the annoyance Nanoha enjoyed her classes and had lunch with a few of her classmates whenever she had a chance. With her birthday only days away now she was looking forward to whatever surprise Fate had planned for them. Life was settling into a new comfortable rhythm and all she was truly concerned about was her growing womb. Fate was being a perfect wife by preparing the nursery and hovering over her nicely but still gave her space to do her own thing.

Of course Nanoha hadn't told her of the annoyance at school, the last thing she wanted was her wife to cause a scene at the school. Besides it wasn't like the guy had actually tried anything with her. Innuendo and leering looks didn't count for much and she shut him down every time he tried to make a move. It was beginning to be amusing to her friends to see Nanoha stomp on the man each day.

Fate could tell something was bothering Nanoha, she was using her evasive manner of speaking that she used when trying to hide something. Coming to the campus to bring her wife lunch two days before her birthday Fate discovered exactly why her wife was being evasive. The man was of the tall dark and handsome mold and dressed well. Fate watched the way he leaned into Nanoha and felt a growing darkness in her chest. Nanoha was hers; no one was allowed to touch her.

Knowing this wasn't the way to behave Fate dropped the lunch on a table and turned to leave. She trusted Nanoha, she had to believe in her or there would be nothing to base her world on. She had nearly made it to her car when she felt a familiar hand on her arm turning her. Tears she didn't even realize she was holding back fell from her eyes.

Nanoha saw the tears and pulled her wife into a tight embrace as she pressed kisses to her face and neck whispering words of love to her, "Shh Fate-chan, it's okay. I love you, only you. He's an annoyance. Not someone I find attractive. You're mine and I am yours. That's never going to change. I love you."

Holding Nanoha lightly, unsure and frightened by the dark feelings roiling inside her Fate asked, "Why didn't you tell me about him?"

Pulling back so she could look Fate in the eyes Nanoha said, "Because I didn't want you to get overprotective and cause a scene. I can handle an idiot male Fate-chan. If he tries anything you can bet he's going to be in for a world of hurt. The only person allowed to touch me is you. He just flirts, and I shut him down every time. I love you, only you can make me feel good when you flirt with me."

Swallowing the lump of aggression that wanted to scream and rage at the man Fate nodded, "I'm going to head home now. Have a good rest of the day."

Not letting Fate go Nanoha pulled her back down for a proper kiss. It quickly grew heated as Fate pressed her against the car and began to ravage her mouth in possessive greed. Hands skimmed up and down Nanoha's sides barely restraining themselves from taking liberties that would get them arrested for indecency. It was only the sound of a throat clearing that made the pair break apart.

Before them was the man who had been flirting with Nanoha and he had a look of revulsion on his face. Fate not thinking much of the man held her wife possessively and asked in a voice tinged with dismissal asked, "What do you want?"

The haughty look on his face made Nanoha want to slap him but his words crossed the line for her.

"So you are the so-called wife. You do realize you are dragging Nanoha down. You can't possibly make a woman like her happy. It'd be best if you just ended this before you ruin her children's lives with your unnaturalness."

Not allowing Fate the chance to respond Nanoha stepped forward and with all the strength she could muster punched the idiot. Blood spurted from his broken nose as tears flowed from his eyes.

"Listen to me very carefully, this is going to be the last time I warn you. I love my wife. These children are just as much hers as they are mine and we will raise them together. If you come near me again and spout that garbage again you'll be dealing with more than a broken nose. I will break you, you are nothing compared to my wife," Nanoha growled at the man in a cold voice.

He stepped back not just because of Nanoha's menace. The blonde behind her was looking at him with demonic eyes and he could sense between the two of them he really could be utterly destroyed. Stumbling over his own feet he escaped from the scene without a further word.

Once he was gone Fate grabbed Nanoha's hand and looked it over for damage. Seeing her knuckles were a little discolored she sighed, "Mio amore you could have let me handle him."

"No, I couldn't have. He would just think you were a pushy bitch and continued to nag at me. I've told him time and again I'm not interested, maybe now he'll believe me."

Pulling her in for another hug Fate held her, "You are going to be the death of me you know that. I need to protect you Nanoha. You are my life. I've never felt this way before and you going all warrior princess on people when I'm standing next to you is going to drive me nuts."

Nanoha giggled at this then turned serious eyes on her lover, "Fate-chan, when Cypha hit you I was so angry it didn't matter that she was bigger than me or that I am pregnant. I just wanted to crush her like a bug for hurting you. Now that man hurt you, his words and actions were a slur on our relationship and I won't stand for it. I have tried to be nice about it and reject him politely. This time he thought he could bully you and that was unacceptable. You protect me and I protect you, we're partners, remember?"

Cupping Nanoha' face Fate kissed her softly then said, "I love you Nanoha. I still have a lot to learn about relationships but that's never going to change. I trust you and I know you can handle yourself but I want to be the one to protect you. I've never had anything or anyone I've ever felt this strongly for, I don't want you hurt because of me."

Giving Fate a squeeze Nanoha smiled, "I feel the same way love. Now why don't you come and have lunch with me and my friends. They are all eager to meet my gorgeous goddess."

Blushing Fate stammered, "Na…nanoha, I really hope you haven't been calling me that in public."

Dragging Fate away from the car Nanoha just grinned at her wife. She really did like to talk about Fate; her friends were beginning to wonder if Fate was real. It was time to prove the reality of her perfect wife.

~"~"~"~

March 15th Midori-ya Café

Nanoha had class that morning and everyone was scrambling to arrange everything for the birthday girl. Her new friends had been quietly invited to the party along with the usual suspects. The restaurant was closed due to the number of people invited and because the family wanted to concentrate on their birthday girl.

An abundance of food and drink was on display. A small mountain of presents took up an entire table. Decorations bedecked every available inch of the room, balloons, streamers, ribbons and glitter were everywhere. Fate rubbed her head at the sight and sighed, next year Hayate wasn't going to be in charge of decorations. Now all that was left to do was wait for the birthday girl to arrive for her surprise party.

Walking up to the restaurant with her friends Nanoha was laughing at one of the women's teasing comment about how she was sure to get lucky tonight. After all birthday sex was supposed to be the best gift a person could receive. Nanoha wasn't going to argue this point, anytime Fate touched her was a wonderful gift she'd never take for granted.

Pushing open the door to the restaurant the booming shout of, "Happy Birthday," almost had Nanoha jumping out of her skin. She had never had a party like this before. Her family and a few friends getting together when she was younger had been the norm but in recent years it was just another day of the year. All she thought to expect was her wife and daughter meeting her for a quiet lunch with some friends, not a full out surprise party.

The multitude came forward to wish her a happy birthday with hugs and kisses. A flurry of faces and voices had her head spinning. Soon the music was playing and she was seated with a large plate of her favorite foods before her. The only thing missing was Fate. The blonde was working to serve the guests, stepping back for now to allow Nanoha time to enjoy her time with family and friends.

After the delicious lunch was cleared away games were played and to Nanoha's horror a karaoke machine was set up in one corner. The sounds of horrible singing and laughter filled the room from that corner. Looking around Nanoha couldn't find her wife again. She had spotted her a few times and only received a blown kiss and a wink. She was beginning to get frustrated with the situation; she wanted her wife holding her.

Not even seeing her former boss was enough to distract her from hunting her wife down. Yanagi could see her urgency to get away and find her wife leaned forward and said, "I saw her going to the kitchen Nanoha-san, be quick and I don't think anyone will notice you slipping away."

Maybe she should have been embarrassed at being so obvious but she just accepted the tip and gave the man a quick hug in thanks. Sneaking away she found Fate in the kitchen with her mother getting an enormous cake ready for the guests. Momoko seeing the needy look in Nanoha's eyes knew Fate was about to learn another hard lesson when it came to handling her daughter.

Pouting Nanoha came over to Fate and wrapped her arms around the blonde as she rubbed her cheek against her back, "Fate-chan, I missed you. Why are you hiding from me?"

Turning in Nanoha's arms Fate smiled, "I haven't been hiding mio amore. I've just been trying to make sure you have a happy birthday. Aren't you enjoying your party?"

Hormones now spiking Nanoha wasn't going to be reasonable, "No, I want my Fate-chan by my side. I don't need all this to be happy on my birthday, I just want you."

Leaning down Fate gave her a loving kiss and tried to placate her, "Mio amore you already have me. Don't you think it'd be greedy of me to hog you to myself all day? Just be patient and I promise I'll give you an extra special present later."

Wrapping her arms around Fate's neck Nanoha held her tightly and pouted, "No, I don't want to wait for my Fate-chan present, I want Fate-chan now."

Fate was confused for a moment, should she go get the package now?

Momoko started snickering and finally clued in Fate, "I think the birthday girl wants her _Fate-chan_ present now. You two should be able to sneak off for a little bit, Nanoha's room is still just as it was when she was a child. Have fun you two."

Then the laughing woman escaped the kitchen leaving a blushing Fate and a giggling Nanoha behind.

Giving her wife a mock frown Fate said, "I now know where you get it from. I wonder how long it'll be before I am completely whipped like your father."

With a teasing bite to Fate's collar bone Nanoha said, "You already are love. Now you have a choice, you can come quietly or screaming."

Gaping at her wife Fate was incredulous, "Nanoha! All our family and friends are just outside that door!"

Pulling her wife along now Nanoha lead her to a back passage that lead to the upstairs living quarters, "Hmm it seems Fate-chan has chosen screaming. Well I won't complain as long as I get to taste my birthday treat."

Shaking her head at the horny woman Fate finally gave in and picked her up. Carrying her up the stairs Fate quickly found Nanoha's childhood bedroom and pushed open the door. The room was the quintessential girl's room with the stuff animals and pink and white bed spread. Kicking closed the door Fate set her wife down for a hot kiss. It was a dream come true for Nanoha to make love to her wife in her childhood room. She could almost believe she was a teenager again and no one but this woman would ever touch her.

Pushing Fate back against the door she greedily drank her down. Kisses and nipping bites to her neck made the blonde shiver and moan. Quickly Nanoha undid her blouse and pushed it off before reaching for the front clasp of her lover's bra. Once Fate's beautiful breasts were loose Nanoha ducked her head to place loving kisses on the full mounds. The sound of Fate's ragged breathing as she suckled and nipped at the sensitive peaks drove Nanoha to tease her further.

Groaning Fate pushed her away and breathing hard she said, "It's your birthday Nanoha that means I should be pampering you. Now I am going to make love to you."

The wicked smile Fate received at this made it clear she was going to have a fight on her hands. Tumbling onto the full sized bed the pair was removing clothes haphazardly as they teased each other to the best of their ability. Looking down at her wife hair loose and skin flushed she looked like a young girl again surrounded by the memorabilia of her childhood. Fate redoubled her efforts to pleasure her wife and eraser the past from her mind, Nanoha would only be hers from here on.

When Fate felt Nanoha's hand delve into her panties she knew she had already lost. Soon Nanoha was teasing her relentlessly and then a hot mouth had joined the teasing fingers and Fate was lost to the world. It was all Fate could do to restrain her cries of pleasure so as to not alert the entire household of their activities. After her body finally calmed from the intense orgasm Fate opened her eyes to see Nanoha cleaning her fingers with her lascivious tongue.

There was nothing on Earth that could have stopped Fate at that moment from jumping her wife. Capturing her in a tight embrace Fate pulled her down and began to love every inch of her. By the time Fate finally entered her she was so far gone all she could do was hold on to the blonde and plead for release. A slick teasing tongue toyed with her clitoris as two fingers filled her. Stroke after pounding stroke pushed her closer to the edge until she came hard with a gasping groan.

Cuddling into Fate's warmth Nanoha reflected each time she thought she couldn't be happier this woman made her happier with her love and all she did for her. Thanks to Fate her bond to her family was stronger than ever, she had new and old friends sharing her life, full custody of her daughter with two more on the way all because her loving wife constantly put her first. Never had she dreamed of being this happy. Kissing Fate's shoulder she whispered, "I love you."

Snuggled tight they dozed for a few minutes just enjoying the feeling of their bodies pressed against each other. They were finally disturbed by a knock on the door and Miyuki's giggling voice called out, "Okay you two it's time to rejoin the party. It's time for cake and presents."

Nanoha suddenly realized everyone downstairs likely knew what they had been up to and blushed scarlet. Why couldn't she control her raging hormones?! She'd blame Fate for being so delicious but really this whole situation was all her fault.

Fate saw the blush and started to laugh, "Oh did you finally realize you're going to have to face everyone again? I tried to convince you to wait but no you just had to try to have your cake and eat it too."

Pouting Nanoha whined, "Fate-chan! Whatever happened to wanting to protect me? How are we going to face everyone downstairs?"

Kissing Nanoha quiet Fate then pulled away, "We'll face them together. If anyone wants to tease you they'll have to deal with me. In fact you can say I snuck you away to give you your birthday present early."

Biting her lip Nanoha thought about it then laughed, "Everyone knows I am the corrupter in our relationship Fate-chan, do you honestly believe they'll fall for that?"

"They only think that because you don't tell tales. If they knew of the things we got up to during our honeymoon they'd all blame me for corrupting you."

Kissing her wife one more time Nanoha then pulled away to get dressed, "Ugh, our clothes are a mess. I really do need to learn to control myself."

Coming down the stairs and exiting the kitchen Fate couldn't help hugging Nanoha to her. She had missed feeling her wife throughout the party. Normally when in the same room the pair was connected at the hip and today had been an exercise in self control.

The cake was already on the table and a room of knowing smiles greeted them. Fate held Nanoha around the waist and refused to be embarrassed by the smirking smiles. Nanoha was carrying her children, maybe that hadn't happened the traditional way but they still enjoyed a healthy sex life. Leading Nanoha over to the head of the table the lights were lowered and everyone began to sing Happy Birthday.

Fate stood right behind Nanoha and sang softly in her ear giving her goose bumps. The loving tone and warmth made the moment all the more special. Blowing out the candles the only wish she had was that this love she shared with Fate never ended. She quickly cut the first piece of the cake then her mother took over cutting and dispersing it to the guests. As Nanoha ate she did receive a light ribbing from friends and family. Fate's glare made sure most didn't go too far, especially their sisters and her best friend.

Once the remains of the cake was cleared away the presents were brought out and Nanoha was reminded why she sometimes hated her best friend. Looking inside the box she quickly closed it again and glared at her friend. Miyuki's evil grin when she asked innocently what was in the box made it clear they were collaborators. Nanoha said in a choked voice it was nightclothes and left it at that while forcing the box in Fate's hands to guard from snooping eyes.

Unfortunately Nanoha forgot Fate was just as curious as anyone else and when she opened the box her laughter caught everyone's attention. Fate pulled out the onesie pajama and had to admire its workmanship. It had a hood with cat ears sewn in, the sleeves ended with cat paws that could be slipped off at the wrist and the legs ended in footie paws. But the best part was the tail, Fate really liked it and couldn't wait to see her wife in the outfit and give it a tug.

Nanoha grabbed the outfit out of her wife's hands and pushed it back in the box squealing, "Fate-chan! Don't show that off!"

Looking at her wife innocently Fate asked, "Why not? It's cute."

Hayate cackled and then presented another box this time to Fate and said, "Since you appreciate my efforts so much I have a gift just for you."

Confused Fate opened the box and found another pair of pajamas but this time it had dog ears and tail, the size was obviously larger too for Fate's taller frame. Sticking her arm inside the sleeve she checked the fit and found it actually covered her long arm comfortably and it was very warm. Not being all that embarrassed by cutesy things such as this Fate smiled and thanked Hayate.

The disbelieving look on Hayate's face when Fate failed to blush or stammer won Alicia a tidy sum from the shrimp. Fate actually loved stuffed animals and cutesy sleepwear. Not that she got to keep much of it as Einhart or Alicia ended up stealing most of it from her. There were downsides to living with people the same size and had the same tastes as you.

Nanoha looked at her wife in disbelief also, "You can't be serious about liking that thing."

Shrugging Fate folded the pajama neatly back into the box and said, "It's warm and cute. Besides you're always calling me your puppy so now I really can be."

Clasping a hand over Fate's mouth Nanoha reprimanded her wife, "Fate don't talk about that in public!"

In response to this Fate gave Nanoha her best puppy eyes begging for forgiveness. Groaning Nanoha removed her hand and turned to her sister and asked for the next gift. If she continued talking about this it would only get worse.

Soon the gifts were all open but Nanoha noticed there was no present from Fate. She wasn't sure if she should be upset or not. Fate had planned this party for her. Had given into her every whim that day and then there was the fact she had already given Nanoha everything she could possibly want. Did she really want another material object when having Fate really was all she needed?

Fate could see the conflict on Nanoha's face when all the wrapping paper was being cleaned up. There was one more present but she wasn't sure if Nanoha wanted it now or might appreciate it more privately so leaned in and asked.

"Mio amore I have a gift for you but I don't want to embarrass you. Would you like to wait until everyone leaves or open it now?"

Turning to look at her wife Nanoha asked suspiciously, "It's not more sleepwear is it?"

Smiling at her wife Fate shook her head, "No but it is personal. It's nothing to be ashamed of but maybe we should wait until it's just family?"

Now very curious Nanoha asked, "What is it?"

"Uh-ah, you have to wait until you open it to find out," Fate teased her.

Looking around the room, Nanoha thought about what Fate said, it was personal but not something to be ashamed of. Fate wasn't one to give intimate gifts publically so it couldn't be anything too bad.

"Let me open it now. I'd like to let everyone see what my wonderful wife got for me," Nanoha said.

Getting up Fate went to a closet and pulled out a large box. It came up to her waist and looked like a small child could fit in the box. Fate had been convinced by Alicia and Hayate to tease her wife by triple wrapping the gift. Considering what was in it and that no one but her had seen it she wasn't sure if this was appropriate but decided to go along with their suggestion. This was the first birthday gift she was giving her wife; she wanted to go all out.

Tearing off the outer paper Nanoha then struggled to open the box only to find a thinner box inside with a mountain of packing peanuts. Pulling the box out she was soon covered by the peanuts which made Alicia and Hayate laugh in the corner. Tearing off another layer of wrapping paper and fighting with the box again she found another wrapped item inside the box.

Sitting the box down Nanoha looked at her wife and said, "If there is another box inside this one you're sleeping on the couch tonight."

The idiot peanut gallery roared with laughter as Fate's face took on a horrified look. This would be the last time she listened to them!

Nanoha glared at the idiot duo and realizing Fate had been lead astray she kissed her wife and apologized, "Sorry love, I should have known those two were behind this."

Pulling out the last package Nanoha frowned, it felt like a piece of wood. Holding it carefully she tore the paper off and felt all the air in her lungs rush out of her at the framed portrait before her. This wasn't her, it couldn't be. The woman before her was too beautiful to even be compared to her.

"You once asked me to paint you. To show you how I see you. This is as close as I can get. Its close but you are far more beautiful to me than this. I wasn't really able to capture your spirit; maybe someday I might be able too."

Nanoha's family gathered around and were in awe, Shiro spoke for the family, "It's perfect Fate-chan. I can't imagine a better portrait of my daughter. You did capture her spirit, I can feel it. It's almost like you caught her frozen in time. That smile, it's pure Nanoha."

Carefully placing the painting down Nanoha got up and hugged her wife now crying. It was too much, the fact that even her family believed this otherworldly being in the portrait could be her made it almost surreal.

Placing a soft kiss on Nanoha's temple Fate asked, "Do you like it? I can try again."

All Nanoha could do was hug Fate tighter since she had no words at the moment. Fate could see the guests take in the portrait and took in the soft murmur of voices. Many agreed with the likeness and others were struck dumb. The new friends Nanoha had made were all looking at Fate in awe. No longer would anyone question the feelings of the blonde for Nanoha. It was clear from the care and attention placed in the painting exactly how much Fate loved her wife.

It wasn't long after this that the guests left. Nanoha couldn't let Fate go so moved by the portrait that it was up to her family to see the guests off as Fate took her back upstairs. This time there was no lustful intentions; Nanoha just needed a quiet moment with her wife. Laying down again on the bed Fate held her as she gently stroked her hair.

After a few minutes Nanoha asked, "Do you really see me that way?"

"I don't lie in my artwork Nanoha. I paint things as I see them. You might not believe it but everyone downstairs saw it. That painting was as true a rendition as I could make. You are my angel, I might tease you by calling you diavolo bianco but you are more angelic than devilish to me. That night when we became a couple and you came in that dress I could have sworn you were an angel. It was hard to believe you wanted me, even harder to believe that you trusted me with your body."

Sitting up Nanoha looked at Fate and suddenly she felt too small and unworthy of this gift, "I wish I could show you how I see you. I don't have that ability. I could try and try and never come close. How am I ever to show you how much you mean to me?"

Letting her hand smooth over Nanoha's rounding abdomen Fate said, "When our babies are born you will have given me something more precious than any painting. You will have taken a part of me and allowed it to mix with a part of you to create someone unique. These babies will be part of both of us and all themselves. Neither will be purely a miniature Fate or Nanoha but the best of both of us. Love them Nanoha, give them the love I never had as a child and I can't ask for anything more."

This simple request carried more weight than anything else Fate had ever asked of her. Loving Fate's children would be as natural as breathing but to go one step beyond and shower them with the love Fate missed out on would be her life's goal.

Settling back against Fate she whispered, "I promise Fate-chan. They'll never doubt they're loved."

~"~"~"~

Returning to school Nanoha was happy to find Mr. Annoying was keeping his distance. The raccoon look he was sporting thanks to her punch apparently was just what was needed to get her rejection through his thick head. The women who had come to the party continually teased Nanoha about Fate and their disappearance during the party.

As they sat together one of them fanned herself and said, "I just wish my husband looked at me the way your wife looks at you, whoa. I don't know how you can stand to leave her by herself. I'd be concerned about some floozy trying to run off with her."

Smiling self consciously Nanoha said, "I really don't need to worry about that. Fate's never been interested in romance, until we met she never even had a girlfriend or lover. She's had plenty of offers but never took anyone up. She loves me and I know I can trust her."

One of the others, who was perhaps Carim's age leaned in and said in surprise, "You mean you're the only one to hit that? Yikes, I'd definitely be scared. Once the seal comes off that's when they start sniffing around to have something to compare what they got with. I've seen it time and again, they can't settle down until they work out all their curiosity about what's out there."

Frowning Nanoha asked, "What do you mean by "they." Never mind, listen Fate-chan isn't some kind of skirt chaser. She doesn't fall into any kind of stereotype so just drop it."

The woman raised an eyebrow and pointedly said, "She chased after you didn't she? And look at that sister of hers, didn't you say she was one of those flavor of the month women until recently. Like I said, they have to work out the kinks first."

Picking up her remainders of her lunch Nanoha glared at the woman and said, "I know my wife, she isn't like that. She can't stand for people to touch her normally. You have to earn her trust before she'd even hug you. Fate-chan is mine, only mine and that's how it'll always be. Now I am going to library, I have research to do."

Sitting in the library Nanoha couldn't concentrate. Her mind roiled with questions, 'What was Fate doing at this exact moment? Was she at home working on the nursery? Or was she at her studio or at her sister's home working? Maybe shopping with one of their friends for something for the babies? …was she with someone having an affair? NO! Fate would never do that!'

Slamming her book closed she got up and found herself driving home no longer concerned with her afternoon class. Entering the house she heard music coming from upstairs and found her wife painting the mural on the walls of the nursery. Every day there was something new on the walls, some scene from a magical world that would fill their children's lives with wonder. She felt like an idiot coming home to check on her wife like this.

Sensing someone was behind her Fate turned and seeing Nanoha standing there immediately became worried. Getting up she came over checking her over for any signs of injury or sickness.

Placing a gentle hand on her cheek Fate asked, "Mio amore are you okay? Why are you home?"

Kissing Fate for her concern suddenly Nanoha needed to reassure herself that Fate was all hers. Pulling her wife out of the nursery to their bedroom she began to strip her of her clothing. By the time they got to the bed Fate had decided this must be one of those pregnant women things and just let her wife have her way.

As Nanoha climbed on to her pressing them together she asked, "Are you mine Fate-chan?"

Flushed with desire and desperate now to feel her wife she said, "Only yours mio amore, please love me."

Nanoha began to move desperate to feel Fate hot and wet beneath her. Each twitch and moan making it harder to control the speed of her thrusts, she wanted Fate to fall apart, to melt into her. When Nanoha's desperate need was finally spent she fell forward onto her wife and began to cry.

Rolling them over Fate looked at her crying wife and concerned asked, "Nanoha, are you okay? You didn't hurt yourself did you? Stai bene angelo mio?" [Are you okay my angel?]

Touching Fate's face Nanoha admitted to her rash stupidity, "I let someone get to me. One of the women at school was talking about how you would start searching for another lover soon. How you'd need to find something to compare what we have too. I feel sick Fate-chan. I trust you but I couldn't stop thinking about you with someone else and I had to come home. I knew you weren't with someone else but I had to check, then claim you."

Kissing Nanoha to relieve her mind Fate then said kindly, "I don't want or need another lover. I can't imagine finding someone else who can make me forget everything and just feel like you do. That woman seems to think what we have is something transitory. Or maybe she's jealous. I don't know what her problem is but I can categorically say this love between us isn't going to change. At least not on my end. You're not planning on leaving me any time soon are you?"

Holding Fate tightly Nanoha declaimed, "NO! You're mine!"

Nuzzling Nanoha's neck Fate said lovingly, "Yes I am, all yours, for as long as I live and in the hereafter. The whole till death do us part isn't enough; I will be yours until the end of time."

Fate could have sworn Nanoha started purring at that moment but the she was soon to busy dealing with hungry hands and a hot mouth trying to possess her again to really listen.

~"~"~"~

A few hours later when Nanoha woke up from her nap Fate was gone but there was a note on the pillow next to her:

 _Mio amore,_

 _I had a quick errand to run. I'll be home in less than an hour. Call me if you need anything._

 _Love,_

 _Your Fate-chan_

Not really happy with this development but not about to make a fool of herself again Nanoha got up to take a shower. It was too late to make it to her last class so she'd just get cleaned up and maybe do some reading until Fate got home.

~"~"~"~

Uminari University

Fate was standing outside the building of Nanoha's last class. She wasn't sure which of Nanoha's new _friends_ had instilled her new paranoia but she was going to straighten them out. The group Fate recognized from her lunch date and the party as they came out together talking. The oldest one of the group grinned slyly when she saw Fate alone. Nanoha was missing and now her wife was here just begging to be snatched up by a better woman.

Fate knew that look and hated it; it made her feel like a piece of meat. Coming over to the group she asked them politely to step over to the side to speak with her. Most of the women were concerned something had happened to Nanoha and came without question.

It took all of Fate's self control not to growl at the women, "Nanoha came home today upset over something that was talked about during your lunch break. Being pregnant little things tend to set her off quite easily and I am worried about people upsetting her unnecessarily. Maybe you all didn't mean anything by your comments to her but her first marriage left her with a lot of sore spots and you hit upon one. I just want to make it clear to all of you, I love my wife. Anyone trying to come between us will be asking for a world of pain. That man in your class learned his lesson the hard way. I have no qualms about teaching the same lesson to anyone coming onto me or my wife. Nanoha is mine and I am hers. Only hers. I find the prospect of anyone else touching me vile. So I will ask you all politely to refrain from speaking of this subject around my wife again."

The first woman who had brought up the subject blushed and apologized for her comment. The one giving Fate the eye gave her some lip service but obviously didn't mean a word of it. Bowing to the women Fate then excused herself. She wondered if the woman would follow her or do something stupid later.

Fate had just gotten to her car when the woman tried to do what Nanoha had done only days before and found herself in a world of pain. Instinctively Fate caught her hand and twisted it until a pop sounded.

Releasing the hand Fate growled, "I warned you. I do not like people touching me. You are not my wife nor are you a member of my family and you most definitely are not a friend of mine. They are the only people I allow to touch me so familiarly."

Holding her hand against her chest the woman glared at her and spat, "You're a stupid freak! You don't know what your wife is, she doesn't love you, she's a straight woman pretending to love you just for your money. I can't wait to see her take you for all you're worth and leave you heartbroken. I could have saved you from that but you're too caught up in those lying eyes of hers."

Fate clenched her fists and in an ice cold voice said, "You have no idea what you're dealing with, I could break your neck right now for what you've said about my wife and I wouldn't feel the least guilt. The only reason you're still alive is because I want my children to grow up knowing me. Stay the hell away from my wife. If you say one word to her that makes her upset again I will personally see to it that your life is ruined. I will make death look like a mercy. Oh and I already know I am a freak. Thankfully my wife loves me just the way I am."

Opening her car door Fate slid in and left the parking lot at a sedate pace despite the fact she had rather smoke the woman with burning rubber. Stopping at the corner store she picked up some ice cream, the sweet treat would do her nerves good.

Nanoha was sitting on the couch when Fate got home and she instantly could tell something was wrong with Fate by the set of her jaw.

Getting up Nanoha checked her over before asking, "What happened Fate-chan?"

Sighing Fate tried to let go of the tension before speaking, "Let's go to the kitchen, I got us a treat. It'll make the talk a little easier to get through I hope."

Fishing out two spoons Fate set the two pint containers of ice cream before Nanoha to allow her first choice. Taking the cookie dough ice cream Nanoha sat at the counter and waited for Fate to start the discussion by taking a small bite.

Sitting down Fate took the rocky road ice cream but didn't open the container, playing with the top she started speaking, "I went to your school. I know you don't want me making a scene so I was very calm."

Covering Fate's hand with her own Nanoha asked, "What happened?"

"I talked to your friends; they apologized for upsetting you after I explained the situation. Then the older one, Kisa-san I think, she followed me to the car. She tried to touch me. She had been looking at me in a way that made me uncomfortable. I warned them I don't like people touching me. I think I broke her wrist. She said some ugly things about you and me. I warned her to stay away from you. I wanted to hurt her so much but I left after that."

With her free hand Nanoha rubbed her forehead, "She was the one who went on and on about you seeking out another lover. You were right she was jealous. What did she say about us?"

Not wanting to repeat the words Fate just shrugged and said, "Nothing important, she was just spewing garbage again."

Squeezing her wife's hand Nanoha asked again, "Please Fate."

Licking her lips Fate said, "She said you were using me, that you don't really love me. That you're really straight and just married me for my money. She just called me a freak."

Burying her head in her hands Nanoha groaned, "What is it about us that we attract these horrible people? I just want to live a quiet life with you, why do people keep wanting to mess things up for us?"

Getting up Fate hugged Nanoha and kissed her, "They can try all they like but I am not going to give you up. I told them you are mine and I am yours. Anyone trying to come between us will be in a world of hurt. I meant that, if she messes with you again Nanoha I need to know. I won't let anyone hurt you. Not verbally, mentally, emotionally and most definitely not physically or sexually. A person tries to force themselves on you and I will destroy them."

Worried Nanoha looked at her wife and asked, "You don't think she'd try something like that?"

Equally worried Fate said, "I don't know. I've been assaulted a few times by people who couldn't take no for an answer. I've never had a lover to worry about but if they'd hurt me to get their way I don't think someone delusional enough to attack me would hesitate to hurt you too."

Suddenly feeling exhausted Nanoha asked weakly, "Should I just quit school?"

Angry now Fate said, "No! You have every right to get your education. I won't have you hiding in our house like a prisoner. These people just need to leave us alone. If I have to buy a cattle prod or stun gun I will."

For some reason that mental picture made Nanoha laugh, leaning her head on Fate's shoulder, "I love you Fate-chan. Please don't ever change."

Humming with happiness Fate replied, "Hmm and this is why I love you so much. You love me just the way I am."

~"~"~"~

The next day Kisa was conspicuous by her absence, when her classmates asked what she thought happened, Nanoha admitted to the woman trying to come onto Fate which had lead to a confrontation. When Kisa returned to class the following week with a cast on her wrist she avoided the group and Nanoha was just as happy to avoid her too. The woman had made herself a pariah to the other group members by going after another woman's partner.

The next week went by quietly and Nanoha was happy to have both annoyances giving her a wide berth wherever she went. Her only looming worry was April 1st being a few days away. Her family and friends were evil when it came to pranks. She was wondering if it might be best to hide in the house the whole day. After all Fate wouldn't do anything evil to her.

~"~"~"~

April 1st

Waking up to an empty bed really wasn't how Nanoha wanted to start this most evil of days. Groaning she sat up thinking April Fools was already shaping up to be the worst day of the year. As she sat up stretching for a moment Nanoha sensed someone was watching her but didn't see anyone around. Putting her feet on the carpeted floor she let out a squeak of dismay when a wet tongue began to lick her toes.

Pulling her feet back up to escape her attacker Nanoha saw a puppy with spiky red fur and big blue eyes. Shaking her head she prayed this was a prank, if Fate or Vivio bought a dog for real she'd have to drop the hammer of doom on them.

Grabbing the puppy in one arm she padded down the stairs and found a surprise visitor. A very heavily pregnant Arf was sitting on the couch with her husband. Hurrying down the stairs Nanoha came over to the pair and hugged them both in greeting happy to see them once again.

Arf took the puppy from Nanoha and laughed, "I see you found JR, horribly cute little monster isn't he?"

"Oh thank heavens, he's yours. I thought I was going to have to kill Vivio for bring home another stray," Nanoha said with relieved sigh.

Laughing Arf petted the squirming beast, "Yup he's mine. Hayate bought him for me, isn't she _wonderful_. Like I don't have enough to worry about with this little one coming in a few weeks," she said the last as she rubbed her swollen belly.

Walking in at this Hayate was carrying another puppy with spiky bluish fur and deep blue eyes. Smiling evilly Hayate dropped the puppy in Nanoha's lap and said, "Happy belated birthday!"

The puppy looked up at her with soulful eyes and Nanoha felt like she was being a complete brute when she turned it away and handed it back to Hayate, "Oh no you don't! You can drop stray dogs on relatives but not me."

Pushing the dog back at Nanoha Hayate said, "Nanoha, Nanoha, Nanoha, tisk-tisk don't you know every child needs a pet. You've already deprived Vivio of the joy of growing up with a pet are you going to do the same to those poor little innocents you're carrying."

Getting up Nanoha dropped the dog in her chair and went to search for her wife, she needed back up to get that cute ball of fluff out of their house. In the kitchen Vivio and Fate were seated at the counter arguing.

"If they named the red one after Arf we should name the blue one after Zafira, then maybe one day they can have puppies!" Vivio enthused.

Shaking her head Fate said, "No, I won't name a dog after my best friend's husband then try to set it up to have puppies with their dog that is named after her. It's wrong on so many levels I can't even begin to explain."

Horrified that her wife and daughter were arguing over names for the fluff ball Nanoha said loudly, "NO! No, no, no! We are not keeping it. Fate-chan you always said no pets."

Seeing the look on Nanoha's face Fate broke down in laughter causing Vivio to crack instantly. Pouting Alicia came in with the puppy and said, "I knew you wouldn't be able to keep a straight face. You're paying for the first month of kibble."

Waving off her sister Fate was still giggling at the confused look on Nanoha's face. Einhart came in with a happy grin and petted the puppy in Alicia's arms.

Seeing the way the blondes at the counter were still laughing Einhart explained, "April Fools Nanoha, the puppy belongs to Cia-chan and me. Now that Fate has moved out Cia has decided to go all out and destroy the house with this ball of fluff with teeth."

Relieved the first thing she did was smack both her blondes on the shoulder, "You two are awful. You're trying to give me a heart attack, the little creature is cute but it would run me ragged trying to deal with it and twins."

Giving her wife puppy eyes Fate tried to apologize but Nanoha just covered her face with her hands and said, "No, I don't want to hear it or see those puppy eyes of yours. I thought you were nicer than this Fate-chan, tricking me like this is too much!"

Seeing an opening Fate tickled her wife's sides and once her hands were pulled away she moved in for a kiss. It didn't take long for Nanoha to kiss her back and start giggling over the whole prank. Breaking the kiss she smiled, "I will have to get you back for this you know."

"I'll look forward to it," Fate replied with a happy smile.

The happy moment was broken by Hayate, "Sheech don't you two know that much sugar can cause diabetes?"

Turning around to glare at her friend, "I should have known this whole thing was a set up the second I saw you in the house," then she stopped, "Um Hayate what are Arf and Zafira doing here? She's going to have that baby in a few weeks it not good for her to be traveling right now."

Waddling in Arf answered for herself, "I'm on maternity leave and once I go back on duty I'll be working for Interpol. Big thank you to both of you, the Scrya Affair has given my career a boost. I'll be stationed here so Zafira and I decided to move here before our little one arrives. Oh and this isn't a joke, you guys are stuck with us."

Very happy at this news Nanoha hugged Arf again and began to ask her a thousand questions at once.

Pulling Nanoha off Arf Fate answered a few questions at once, "They're still looking for a place but I was thinking of talking to the Hayakawas next door to see if they really do want to sell. They've been talking about moving for years but haven't put the house on the market because of how poor the market is for sellers. I was thinking of making a very nice offer on the house and making it a gift as a combined Wedding/Baby shower gift."

Arf looked at her crossed eyed, "Fate you can't do that! Zafira and I can afford to buy our own home."

A little hurt at the outcry Fate said, "I just wanted to do something nice. This way you'd be nearby to some friendly faces, the house is big enough for when you have more kids and you can use your savings to decorate it the way you like."

Conflicted Nanoha decided to side with Fate on this, "Please at least let Fate look into it. I'd really like it if we could be neighbors. Just think we could take the fence down and the kids could all play together in a big yard."

Deciding to take a poke at Nanoha for taking Fate's side Arf pointed out, "Yes with our dog, I'm sure he'll love digging up both our yards."

Nanoha shrugged, "That blue mutt will likely be over here just as much as its own home, I know my daughter, she'll be smuggling it over here every chance she gets. I have a hard enough time getting Einhart to go home most days. I have a feeling the number of strays I'll be feeding has just doubled, no matter what these people tell me."

Vivio brightened, "So does that mean we can keep it after all?"

Giving her daughter a dry look Nanoha said, "No Vi. I will allow it to come over occasionally but you have to keep an eye on it properly. If that animal destroys anything valuable I will have you working all your school break to pay for the damage."

Slightly disappointed but happy she wouldn't have to really smuggle the dog over and risk being grounded Vivio took the concession, "Yes mama."

It was at this point Nanoha's stomach growled which set off Arf's stomach and both pregnant women turned to Fate. The blonde immediately moved to the stove and asked, "What can I make for you?"

~"~"~"~

Fate had the house next door appraised and knowing the couple next door would never get anywhere near that in the current market knocked on the door with a pre-drawn up contract for the fair market value. After a long talk then a walk through the two parties came to an agreement and quickly had the contract signed. The house ownership would transfer in thirty days but the couple would be gone as soon as the check cleared. They had plans to travel and Fate's generous offer now allowed them to begin to enjoy their retirement.

Most of the furniture was up for sell so Fate had Arf look through the pieces and decide if she wanted any. The feisty red head insisted on paying for the furniture she did select herself and wrote the couple a check for their oak dining table and a pool table. With everything else being removed quickly Arf and having a field day bossing Zafira, Hayate, and Fate around to get the house set up as soon as possible.

It really looked like the nursery and house wouldn't be complete in time for the baby's arrival what with the repairs and upgrades the couple wanted to complete before moving in. Once the major work was completed Fate was deployed to decorate the nursery. She spent from twelve to fourteen hours a day in the room with her fellow captives painting the walls as they put furniture together. Arf had shanghaied all of her husband's family into working around the clock so at least Fate wasn't lonely in her forced labor.

Nanoha could have been jealous seeing Fate scramble around for another woman but it was clear Arf was treating Fate as just another minion. It shocked her the first time she came over and the scarily stoic Signum was running around like a chicken without a head because of the barking orders flowing from the red head. Signum had been in Germany with her wife Shamal but the news of the move meant both had returned to Japan to not only help set up the house but to celebrate the birth of the first baby for their family since Vita.

As Nanoha watched the scurrying minions it was beginning to get difficult to believe blonde wasn't the dominate hair color within their group. Shamal, Vivio, Carim, Fate, and Alicia had various shades of blonde but with them scuttling like ants it was getting confusing. When Arisa arrived Nanoha decided to go lay down before she ended up kissing the wrong one. Suzuka agreed with this decision and went with her to keep her company as the others got sucked into the madness.

As Nanoha laid down rubbing her tummy trying to calm the fluttering feeling she was now experiencing Suzuka asked, "What's it like?"

Smiling Nanoha said, "Wonderful. I can feel them more and more every day. I never thought I'd feel like this. They make me so happy and so uncomfortable, they wriggle so much."

Trying not to show her eagerness Suzuka asked, "Do you think Carim-sensei would be willing to take on more test subjects? I know Hayate and Rein are in line but does she have others in mind?"

Smirking at her sister-in-law Nanoha teased, "Hmm you've caught the bug too. Have you talked to Arisa about this yet or are you planning on springing it on her after Carim agrees?"

Blushing the purple haired woman said, "She was the one who suggested it actually. I was really surprised but I like the idea. I never thought we'd be able to have children. Both of our families are against insemination. It was hard enough to get them to accept our relationship we never dared to think about pushing them further with adoption. If the baby could be ours they couldn't hold our relationship against us anymore. It's not like only having daughters is something our fathers can complain about."

Nanoha smile grew wider, "I always knew Arisa was a big softy. You'll both make great parents. I'll talk to Carim-sensei tomorrow at my next check up. She's very happy with my progress and was talking about letting Hayate and Rein start with the hormone treatments soon. It'd be nice if all of us could have babies around the same time. I'd love to see them all go to school together like we did."

~"~"~"~

Carim stared at her patients and wondered if she had bitten off more than she could chew when getting involved with these women. Not only were her professional dreams coming true she was now becoming a real member of their family. That this family was ever expanding and was also looking for help to continue expanding meant she was going to have to put her best efforts forth to make sure they were all safe.

Fate liked the idea of more women undergoing the treatment and told Carim further grants to pay for the work would be forthcoming if she agreed to accept the Tsukimura-Bannings couple. That Suzuka was technically her sister-in-law through Nanoha's brother meant nothing. The woman was one of Nanoha's dearest friends and a good friend to her. As for Bannings, Fate now had an understanding with the woman, Fate would treat Nanoha like a princess and she wouldn't get beaten to a pulp by the overly aggressive American. That Fate already treated Nanoha like a princess and planned on continuing until the day she died didn't seem to faze the aggressive woman.

Seeing how unsure Carim was Fate asked, "Carim-sensei, you agree our girls are developing normally?"

The blonde's nod made Fate smile and continue, "Your facilities and staff here are sufficient to handle more patients with maybe another nurse to help and a pediatrician later?"

Again Carim nodded so Fate asked the big question, "Why are you so fearful of taking on more patients then? You have been hesitating to let Hayate and Rein begin the hormone treatments and that part is nearly commonplace now. Women have been doing it for decades now. What's holding you back?"

Biting her lip Carim blushed and admitted quietly, "I was hoping your sister would suggest we go through the process too. It would be too much for me to handle my own pregnancy and three other women's at the same time."

Fate's grin at this was almost feral, "Who said you'd have to be the one to carry the baby. I think it'd be good for Cia-nee to carry the baby."

Surprised at this suggestion Carim asked, "Do you really think your sister would carry our baby?"

Leaning back in her chair Fate said, "Just leave this to me. It's about time Cia-nee made an honest woman of you."

Stammering now Carim tried to speak, "Hon…hon…honest woman?"

"What? Did you think I'd let you get my sister knocked up without marrying her? Any nieces I have are going to be born to properly married parents. We should be able to arrange that pretty quickly. Too bad you hadn't come to a better understanding with Cia-nee before now; we could have had a double wedding."

Carim's head landed on her desk in a dead faint, Nanoha gave her a poke and said, "I think you pushed her a little too far this time love."

"If she's going to survive in this family she'll have to toughen up. Besides I meant it, one way or the other I want to see Alicia married before they start having babies. Carim is just the woman for her and I don't want to see them take the easy way out if things get rough in the future."

"Hmm, I think you just want to get revenge on your sister for always messing with your love life," Nanoha countered.

Laughing Fate said quietly, "Maybe a little."

~"~"~"~

A/N2: Heh-heh, how evil will Fate be when dealing with Alicia? Will she have more success than Alicia in getting her sister to dance to her tune? Find out next time! Love ya guys, I look forward to your reviews.


	22. Chapter 22 The Re-Education of Alicia T

A/N: Hello again! I must thank Kuraa once again for Beta'ing this chapter, any typos left behind are all mine.

New Chapter and I have a big question to ask at the end of it. I will be opening a poll for people to vote on their answer. So please, please, please vote for me. This story is edging towards 20k hits and I would like celebrate that by asking my readers to help with some decisions in the next few chapters. I will try to create a poll or two to get your opinions on some decisions that will need to be made in the successive chapters instead of just asking for reviews. I love hearing from people so please still do that! I hope this message has perked your interest I will now shut up and let y'all enjoy the chapter, TTYL.

Disclaimer: I do not own MGLN; no profit is made from this story.

~"~"~"~

Chapter 22: The Re-Education of Alicia Testarossa

Fate sat at the head of the table and looked at all the bright expectant faces. She knew most of these people had once colluded in trying to force her and Nanoha together. She couldn't be angry over that but they hadn't exactly been competent in their attempts. She'd have to have a stricter hand with her minions if she was going to get results from them.

"Ahem, today we are here to discuss the future happiness of two people very dear to us all," Fate began.

A snort of derision came from a grumpy blonde but she was quickly shushed by her purple haired partner.

"Now certain parties here have a vested interest in seeing my sister settled and put in the family way as soon as possible so they too can enjoy a family of their own. Carim isn't being too unreasonable about this since the window for her own fertility is closing much soon than anyone else in this room."

Arisa still had a sulky look on her face but didn't make a noise.

Smirking a little at the look Fate went on, "Most of you have preconceived ideas on what actions I'll be asking your assistance with. I can almost guarantee you're wrong. I don't want anyone to flirt or try to play cute with either party. In fact I really only need Rein and Hayate but you other couples will also be helping by putting the pressure on. You see my sister is innately competitive. The fact that Hayate and Rein are already engaged and their relationship began right about the same time as Alicia's with Carim will be the first point to pick at."

The snickering coming from Arisa at this made it clear she liked the idea of screwing with Alicia's mind. It was a tossup most days which blonde twin she despised more; picking on either would do her fine. That it would expedite the chance to have children with the woman she loved was just icing on the cake.

"Yes, Arisa-san you can have a great deal of fun messing with my sister. Besides I think Suzuka-san could do with a nice new ring or perhaps a new love nest for the two of you. You will need a place to raise your future family."

The snickering stopped as the blonde turned red and she ducked her head. The evil blonde twin would pay for that remark! Suzuka just smiled at her grumpy puppy and leaned over to kiss her cheek. That smoothed over the situation, for now.

"Let's start with the younger generation; Tea-chan and Su-chan have you finally come to an agreement on what your relationship is?" Fate asked pointedly.

Teana blushed but Subaru was pure sunshine and rainbows when she declared, "We're officially going out! I've got to thank Nanoha-san for that extra bit of help on Valentine's Day."

Teana smacked Subaru on the arm and muttered, "You don't have to be so loud about it."

Not minding the rough treatment the purple haired girl hugged her partner and said, "But I'm so happy you finally asked me to be your girlfriend."

Teana looked like she was about to explode in embarrassment as she tried to deny she did the asking but really everyone knew the girl was almost as territorial as Nanoha when it came to Subaru.

Clearing her throat she hushed the teens before carrying on, "Well it's nice to see things progressing nicely on that front. Su-chan perhaps you'd be the better candidate to talk to Cia-nee about romantic issues, real or imagined. Something along the lines of how to progress further and how you know if someone is The One."

Teana clasped a hand over Subaru's mouth and said forcefully, "I'll do that! I really don't want your sister talking to Su-chan about…ah…certain things."

Vivio leaned over and whispered, "Scared much?"

Frowning at the younger girl Teana was about to give the girl a stern talking too about appropriate behavior when Nanoha made it worse, "I would be. Su-chan is such an innocent puppy; Cia-chan could seriously warp her mind."

Then Ginga turned the whole conversation on its head when she said, "I doubt it, Cia-chan has already given her the talk. The whole shebang with props, I sat in and have to say I learned a few things myself. Made me question whether or not I made the right decision to let her go. Ah well, she's happier with Carim-sensei."

Fate sighed then shook her head, "Teana-chan it's up to you two to decide how to proceed but if Su-chan has gotten the talk believe me it can't get any worst. Su-chan is a sweet girl and thankfully has proven to be above corruption by my sister. Just please one of you talk to her as if you are considering the next step and possibly about what you want in a permanent partner. I don't know how serious you two really are so I won't try to pressure you into making a commitment you're not ready for just to get my sister settled."

Teana looked at the bright green eyes of her lover and smiled, "I have a pretty good idea of what I want and think I might have already found it."

Subaru grinned madly and threw herself on Teana for a hug, much like an oversized puppy. The redhead grunted at the impact then just smiled resignedly and hugged her back. It really was too much work being so serious all the time when she was around the girl.

As the pair continued to cuddle Fate moved on to her other young couple, "Vi, Einhart you really don't have to help if you don't want too. I don't want to mess about with your relationship."

Einhart gave her cool smile and said, "Oh no, we want in on messing with Cia-chan. She's been messing with us since day one, it's payback time."

Nodding Fate said, "Okay then I'd like to see a little more cuddling going on at home. NOTHING inappropriate, all clothes to stay in place. As you cuddle talk about maybe taking a trip this summer and other long term plans in front of her. Make her start thinking about what she wants in the immediate future."

Turning back to her main couple, Fate looked at them worriedly, "I'm not sure if you two are ready for this. I know you just got engaged but have you done any wedding planning yet?"

Rein raised her eyebrows at this question then shook her head, "No, we all know how horrible this one got during yours and Nanoha's wedding planning so we were hoping to postpone that until at least after Arf has her baby. There's no need to stress the family out even more with two divas."

From the back of the room Arf threw a pillow at Rein, she had been quietly eating a snack and enjoying the proceedings until then. Sorely tempted to throw it back but knowing better Rein tucked the pillow behind her and stuck her tongue at her future cousin-in-law.

Fate knew better than to comment so carried on, "Well then I think it's time our little Hayate learned a little self control. All good parents need it. Talk about where you'd like to get married and maybe a timeline. Were you two planning to get married after having your baby or before hand?"

Together they said, "Before."

Smiling Fate said, "At least you're on the same page there. Depending on where you want to get married I might be able to help with a venue. Dad was crazy about architecture and bought houses all over the place if he felt they were aesthetically pleasing. He loved houses with grand gardens, you saw the house in France, well we have five or six more like it all over the place."

Nanoha made a noise of frustration and Fate turned to her concerned, "What is it mio amore?"

Almost pouting Nanoha said, "I wanted to see those houses with you first," then quieter, "Make them our own."

Fate had to turn away and count to ten; she would not let her wife distract her now. The laughing at the back of the room made it clear Arf was finding Fate's newly awakened sexual frustration amusing.

Glaring at her friend she said, "Oh don't think I don't have something for you to do Lupo. It's up to you to get that idiot to start thinking about having little ones of her own. Nanoha can't, it'd be too obvious. I know you can be cunning but can you do subtle? She spends enough time working like a slave at your house like the rest of us, have her…uh no don't have her cook for you…um I don't know drive you some place maybe. Just get her alone and have her feel your baby move, she's dense but not heartless."

Biting her lip in consideration Fate turned to Zafira, "You willing to join in?"

The dark skinned man just shrugged and grunted what sounded like an agreement. Fate twitched an eyebrow at this; leave it to Arf the chatter box to marry a man who barely uttered a word.

Unsure if he'd be able to do this Fate asked, "Could you please talk to my sister about how you knew Arf was the one and how it made you feel once you discovered she was pregnant? She doesn't have a lot of guy friends so I am not sure how she'll take this but every little bit will help."

Zafira nodded his understanding but didn't say a word. His wife beamed at him and squeezed his hand which evoked a warm smile from the man. Which made Fate smile a little more broadly too; he really did love his hyperactive wife.

Turning to the oddest couple Fate had seen yet, somehow her sister-in-law had managed to not only drag her old friend out of his shell but away from France as well. Zest was of a similar mold as Zafira; tall, not quite so dark but equally ruggedly handsome with a moody countenance. Miyuki was playing with his shaggy hair as he sat next to her quietly sedate, like a large housecat being petted by his mistress.

"Zest, you know Cia-nee. I don't know how much you want to get involved in this, she's still a handful and only Carim seems to be able to get a handle on her most days," Fate pointed out.

His voice was gravelly but kind when he said, "All the more reason to get her settled down then. I'll do what I can to poke her in the right direction."

Looking at Miyuki now Fate said, "Please be careful when messing with her now that you're dating Zest. Cia-nee might mess with you if you try to badger her too obviously about settling down. You could find yourself being steamrollered into admitting or committing more than you were willing if she decides to fight back."

Finally Fate turned to her in-laws and shrugged, "You both have been great role models for both of us. If you two could just subtly talk to her about to joys of marriage and having a family of your own it'd help. Momoko maybe a hint on how much fulfillment you got from carrying your children would be nice…"

It was this final instruction that made everyone sit up and freak out. There were outbursts of, "You want Alicia to carry that poor baby?! Are you crazy?! Cia pregnant…are you mad?!"

Holding up her hands for quiet Fate explained, "Two reasons why I think it's best for Alicia to carry the baby: First, it will solidify her bond to the child. We all know how flighty my sister can be, she really needs to be bonded to this child. The only person she'd ever mothered is me and that was a mixed blessing for the both of us. She is a great nurturer whether any of you will believe that or not, but I am scared she will keep her distance from any child she has out of fear of hurting her. I know I am dealing with the same fear but I have Nanoha to help me. My relationship with Nanoha is very different from Alicia's with Carim. I am scared if Alicia does put a wall up between herself and their baby it could ruin their relationship. This is the best way to avoid that."

Everyone took a moment to let that sink in then Hayate asked, "What's the second reason?"

Twitching a smile Fate said, "To help you out. If Carim-sensei is the one to carry the baby she won't be able to handle any other pregnancies until after she gives birth. Do you want to wait a year or longer to have your own child?"

Suddenly two couples were very serious about ensuring Alicia's future matrimonial happiness and seeing her get knocked up ASAP.

~"~"~"~

April slowly meandered its way into May and with it the final countdown for Arf's pregnancy. The house was complete and ready for the new family. Fate was seeing a lot of her old friend and happy to see Nanoha and Arf getting along so well. The pregnant duo might have her running around like crazy but at least she had Zafira and his family to back her up now.

Taking the afternoon off to finally relax Fate was laying on her couch while Nanoha was away for class. Reading a good book with a glass of iced tea nearby was paradise. And like all good things it came to end far too soon. The banging of her front door swinging open Fate saw her sister drenched to the bone and spitting mad.

"Where is she?! Where is that little ingrate? I am going to…" Alicia raged only to be cut off by a soft tap on the head by Fate's book.

Looking at her sister amusedly Fate asked, "What happened this time? And can we please step out to the yard you're dripping on my carpet, Nanoha won't like that."

Glaring at her sister Alicia turned to walk back out of the house then like a petulant child dropped to sit on the grass with a pout on her face. Shrugging Fate took a seat on the grass next to her and enjoyed the warm summer day. She was still wearing concealing clothing but it wasn't a scorcher that day.

Poking her sister's wet arm Fate asked again, "What happened Onee?"

Grumbling, "That little monster you call a cousin set me up again. She set up a booby-trap and I went head first into the new pool. I could hear her giggling like an idiot when I surfaced. She got away before I could even get out of the water."

Shaking her head and silently thankful she was no longer living with the dastardly duo Fate pointed out, "You did ask for it. You've been picking on her something fierce ever since she let it slip she and Vivio are going to the coast together. I'd swear you were jealous of her and her prospective romantic getaway but you're better than that."

Scratching her chin Alicia admitted, "Maybe I am a little, she's spending so much time with Vivio now, it's a lonely sometimes. She bought her a ring. Did you know that? They're just kids Fate and they are being so serious. How do they know this is the right thing to do?"

Going into her Ice Angel mode to hide her smirk and internal victory dance Fate said coolly, "How does anyone know if they're doing the right thing? They're trusting in their feelings and taking it slow. Nanoha has talked with them both and feels they're being sensible and doesn't see anything wrong with the way things are progressing. It's not like they are planning to get married or have kids next week. A promise ring and a weekend getaway isn't exactly a promise of forever."

"Yeah but what if they…well you know, when they go on their trip. I tease them a lot about it but they're just babies. They shouldn't be doing stuff like that yet," Alicia tried again to point out her discomfort.

"Shame-shame Cia-nee, you weren't much older than them when you started and they actually have strong feelings for each other. They aren't just fooling around and looking for fun. I swear you are becoming such a mother hen these days," Fate countered.

Rolling her shoulders Alicia said, "It's a lot harder watching out for Ein now that you aren't living in the house. Before I could just be the cool big sister and leave all the big stuff to you. Now I worry about all that stuff, how she's doing in school, her bringing over friends, what she eats."

Fate snorted, "Don't exaggerate Alicia; she spends nearly as much time over here as she does with you. I feed her three or four times a week dinner and I still make her and Vivio's lunch. I even feed her breakfast more often than not. The only friends she brings around are the same ones she's had since she started middle school. As for her grades she's doing better than ever and you know it, she really wants to do well to make Vivio proud of her. They're really cute when they study together."

Squeezing out the water from her hair Alicia frowned, "But that's just the problem, she's too good sometimes. I'm just waiting for her to make some huge mistake. What if when they're away they get caught up and get drunk then who knows what could happen. I swear she's so much like you some days; you never paid the least attention to the dangers around you until it was too late."

Patting her sister's wet shoulder Fate tried to appease her, "Cia-nee, Einhart is much more aware of the dangers in the world than I was. She doesn't live with her head in the clouds like I did at that age. The girls will watch out for each other."

Just then the teens appeared and came up the walkway. Both had their hands behind their backs which boded ill for the sisters. Suddenly both were being pelted with water balloons and the giggling pair took off again.

Looking at each other the sisters made a plan silently then went in opposite directions. Fate found the hose on the side of the house and unraveled it to its full length before turning it on. With the spray head held loosely she crept around the house and saw Alicia being pelted by balloons by the pair as she chased them. Coming up behind them she shot Einhart first knocking the balloon out of her hand before drenching her completely then moving on to the wily blonde. Soon both teens were soaked and for good measure Fate sprayed Alicia down soaking her again much to her sister consternation.

The trio seeing Fate retreating to put the hose away all picked up a water balloon and stalked after her. She was waiting for them around the corner and sprayed them all down before they had a chance to throw the balloons.

In a voice of good humor Fate said, "You three have to learn to do better than that."

~"~"~"~

Nanoha came home and was slightly suspicious at the quiet in her house. Her favorite teens were cuddled on the couch reading their textbook together. They each gave her an innocent smile and chirpy welcome home without getting up. Her sister-in-law was sitting playing a handheld video game device in her favorite easy chair. Alicia grunted a hello but didn't look up from her game. There was the delicious aroma of dinner cooking, though it was rather early to have the meal.

Coming out of the kitchen Fate was wearing her apron and Nanoha's hormones spiked suddenly. It wasn't just the apron but the outfit she wore beneath. It wasn't what she'd been wearing when Nanoha left for school. The white shorts and black short sleeve button down shirt showed off pale scarred skin making it hard for Nanoha to concentrate on anything else. Biting her lip she tried to restrain herself from embarrassing Fate in front of their family.

Fate saw the look and decided to put Nanoha out of her misery quickly, calling out to the girls, "Girls can you watch the stove for me? I need to take care of something upstairs for a little bit."

The girls both saw the way Nanoha was looking at Fate and rolled their eyes, 'Uh-huh take care of something, more like someone.'

Not commenting they got up and went to the kitchen to take over. Vivio at least could be trusted not to burn the house down and Einhart was improving under her tutelage. Only Alicia seemed doomed to be forever a walking disaster in the kitchen. Strange really since she was so good at chemistry, or maybe that was the reason. She loved to make things blow up.

Unsure what was going on Nanoha looked at her wife concernedly. Smiling at the cute look Fate wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her along up the stairs. Once in their bedroom she quickly undressed her confused prize placing loving nips on her neck and shoulder then her swollen tummy as she lowered her panties. Pulling away Fate gave her a soft kiss then went into the bathroom.

The sound of running water and her overheated body meant Nanoha didn't tarry long in following. Seeing Fate undressing Nanoha made a mewling noise of disappointment.

Coming over Fate took Nanoha's hands and placed them on her breasts then teased, "What's wrong mio amore?"

Swiftly Nanoha had Fate out of her shorts and panties and splayed out on the shower floor. The pair were enjoying the hot spray falling on them as they teased each other mercilessly. Nanoha was enjoying her spot on top of Fate, her long blonde hair a wet mess making Nanoha think of mermaids and naiads.

Whispering hotly, "I love you Fate-chan. I love you so much."

Pulling her down so she could feel more of her delicious wife Fate was careful not to put too much strain on Nanoha's growing stomach. The rounding mound prevented them from pressing as close as before but Fate wouldn't complain. She loved the feeling of her children growing inside her wife. To feel them move under her hand as she caressed Nanoha's soft skin was a wonder.

Before things got too out of hand and Nanoha really did hurt herself on the ground Fate helped her back up pressing her against the wall before letting her hand trace the delicate flesh of her womanhood. The mewling noises of need grew with each gentle stroke until Nanoha was demanding Fate give her what she needed. Filling her wife with two fingers Fate sighed at the tight heat. Pressing kisses on every available inch of skin as she thrust her hand again and again into the silky warmth.

Nanoha tried to focus on her wife's face, the look of love and passion on it making her heart rate skyrocket further. Each time Fate filled her she felt herself slip ever so slightly closer to release. She wanted this connection to last forever, clinging tightly she tried to slow them down as her body beg for more speed. Fate could sense Nanoha's need to draw this out so pulled away enjoying the whimper of disappointment when she removed her hand.

Turning her wife to face the wall Fate had her bend over then she dropped to her knees to find her place between her wife's legs. The pink enticing flesh of her Nanoha's womanhood beckoned her forward. When Fate's hot eager mouth began to toy with Nanoha's sweet flower her legs nearly gave out. Fate held her tightly by the hips and teasingly pressed her tongue in and out of the hot passage until Nanoha was crying for more.

Standing up once more Fate pressed her front to Nanoha's back as she fingered her wife from behind and let her other hand sneak forward to tease her clit from the front. It was too much and soon Nanoha was sagging against the wall trying desperately to remain upright. Seeing this Fate increased her speed and gave her wife a gentle bite on the shoulder as she whispered lovingly, "Mine," which pushed her groaning over the edge.

Catching her wife before she collapsed Fate held Nanoha tenderly as she rode out her orgasm. Soft kisses and words of love were all Nanoha could concentrate on as her mind spiraled in a mist of pleasure. Finally having caught her breath Nanoha turned to look at her lover. The warm love in burgundy eyes made it impossible not to kiss Fate.

Pulling away Nanoha asked, "Should I ask what that was all about?"

Fate laughed, "You were the one who started this, not me."

In mock offense Nanoha gave her wife a light tickle and said, "I did not, I didn't even touch you. You're the one who dragged me off to our room without a word of warning."

Pressing her forehead to Nanoha's Fate teased, "Oh so looking at me with those seductive bedroom eyes of yours doesn't count?"

Biting her lip to prevent her giggles Nanoha teased back, "I don't know what you're talking about. Fate-chan has a wild imagination."

Dipping down a little to nibble on Nanoha's collar bone Fate replied, "The only thing wild I have is you."

The moan of pleasure as Fate began to suck on the sensitive spot meant Nanoha wasn't going to be wasting her breath on further words. It was time to prove to her wife just how wild she really was.

~"~"~"~

Two very clean people came down the stairs thirty minutes later to the amusement of their family. The duo had given up being embarrassed by their behavior. Fate especially wasn't about to let anyone try to shame her regarding her love for Nanoha. Only her strong social consciousness prevented her from being even more open with her actions. The last thing she wanted was to hurt Nanoha by bringing down society's displeasure on her. But in their own home she wasn't going to be restrained further than not scaring her step daughter mentally with their actions.

Biting her cheek to prevent her smarting off at her sister Alicia said, "Dinner's ready. Did you get a chance to tell Nanoha about our plans?"

Raising an eyebrow at her wife Nanoha asked, "What plans?"

"Ah, the girls wanted to go to the movies tonight, that's why we're having dinner early. Are you up to it?" Fate asked with hopeful eyes.

Not falling for the puppy eyes Nanoha asked, "What movie?"

Vivio got up and hugged her mother, "Mama, it's a really good movie, please!"

"In other words it's another one of your awful horror movies and you need me to get you in," Nanoha said dryly.

Teaming up with Vivio Fate hugged Nanoha from the other side and said, "It's a comedy with zombies. It might be a little gross but not really scary. The girls really deserve a treat; they did so well on their English exam."

Nanoha wriggled out of the embrace and looked at her blondes and wondered how she could get out of this. The matching puppy eyes were killing her and she knew Fate was going to convince her to give in if she opened that mouth of hers.

Then Alicia had to step in it by saying, "I told you your wife is too much of a chicken to enjoy this. We can just leave her here while we have a night out. She's getting too cranky with all those pregnancy hormones. I'm beginning to feel bad for you Fate-chan, having to put up with her grouchiness all the time."

Glaring at the blonde Nanoha went off on her, "I don't want to hear it from you, who's the bigger chicken me or you, at least I can ride a roller coaster. I don't like scenes of graphic violence because I am not a complete savage like some people. You're the one corrupting my child with this filth. I can only be thankful Carim hasn't had children with you; you'd be the worst role model on a child. Without Fate heaven only knows what kind of person Einhart would have turned out to be like. You're nothing but a spoiled brat."

Fate was conflicted by the dispute but had to side with her wife, Alicia had been completely out of line setting Nanoha off, "Alicia I think it's time for you to go home. We're not going out tonight."

Frustrated Alicia was about to open her mouth to argue but Fate cut her off, "Go home Alicia. I love you but you are getting out of line. Nanoha is Vivio's mother, she decides what is and isn't appropriate for her until she comes of age. If you and Einhart want to go out do so but my family is staying home tonight."

Rubbing her neck Einhart asked, "Can I stay here? I'd rather eat dinner with Vi than go out."

"Of course Einhart, you are always welcome here you know that," Nanoha said kindly.

Angry Alicia spit out, "Oh but not me! I see how it is, you fucking steal everything important to me and you expect me to sit back and let it happen?!"

Grabbing her sister by the arm Fate dragged her out of the house. Her grip was tight and she did not release her until they were in _their_ former home. Pushing her sister into a chair she asked in a dangerously cold voice, "What the hell is going on with you?!"

If the rough treatment wasn't enough to show how deeply in trouble she was her sister's use of profanity sunk that idea home hard, swallowing hard Alicia looked down at her hands and said, "I'm sorry. I…I shouldn't have said that stuff to Nanoha. I am just…just scared."

Letting her anger go Fate knelt in front of her sister and looked at her with compassionate eyes, "Onee, what's wrong? Why are you scared?"

Alicia threw herself at her sister and hugged her tight as they laid in tight ball on the ground, crying she said, "I hate it. I hate it all, everything's changing and I can't seem to change with it. Everyone is growing up and moving on and leaving me behind."

Pulling her sister into her lap more comfortably Fate rubbed her back, "Alicia, I will never leave you behind. Nanoha and our children might be my primary concern now but you will always be my sister. You were the one to first save me and protect me. I am not so selfish to forget that. I love you Onee."

Leaning her head on Fate's shoulder Alicia spoke of her fear, "Do you think I'm a bad influence on the girls? I've done so many stupid things, even Carim worries about our relationship because of it. I want to ask her to marry me but what if I screw this up and hurt her? She's already been hurt once and I don't want to make it worse."

Squeezing her sister tighter for a moment Fate smiled into her hair for a moment, "Cia-nee, you're not a bad influence. Without you I'd never have trusted the world again. You can get out of hand sometimes but never with bad intentions. Now as for hurting Carim, I don't think you need to worry about that. I've seen you two together, you've never looked as happy as when you are with her. Think about it, would you want to lose what you have now for what your life was like before her?"

Squeezing her eyes shut Alicia shook her head, "No, I don't want that life again. But Fate what if that's all I'm good for? Most days I don't feel worthy of her, she's everything I want to be and I am a joke. How can I keep a woman like her happy?"

Fate couldn't help laughing a bit, "Cia do you honestly think you're the only one worried about such things? I get up every morning thankful Nanoha is still by my side. That's all you can do, be thankful, never take her for granted. She loves you, all of you. You make her laugh and feel loved; keep doing that and you'll be fine."

Grumbling a little Alicia said, "Since when have you been so smart?"

Giving her sister a poke in the sides, "One of us has to be. Now how about you come back with me so we can have a proper family dinner."

Alicia looked a bit guilty, "Are you sure? Nanoha probably doesn't want to see me right now."

A soft bop to the head let Alicia know they weren't alone, looking over her shoulder she saw the auburn haired woman smiling at her.

Nanoha reached down and pulled Alicia up for a hug, "You are such a brat sometimes but so am I. I am sorry if I've been too greedy with Fate-chan. You're part of our family too, now come and eat."

Hugging Nanoha tightly, "I'm sorry too. I was out of line with you. I am a bit jealous, you've got everything I want but I am being too cowardly to go for it. Thanks for putting up with me."

Poking Alicia on the nose Nanoha said, "You have nothing to worry about, Carim wants the same things you do. So stop dragging your feet and making the poor woman wait for a real commitment. Not even Fate-chan was as bad as you."

Rolling her eyes Alicia's spark of feistiness came back with a vengeance, "If I remember it properly, she practically asked you to marry you the first night you two became a couple. Excuse me for taking my time to properly woo a woman first."

Snorting Nanoha said, "Woo? More like torturing her with that devilish Testarossa charm. Just get your thumb out of your ass and ask her to marry you already."

Shocked by the profanity Alicia covered Nanoha's stomach and said, "Don't talk that way in front of the babies Nanoha!"

Smacking her hands Nanoha said, "Idiot, come on back to the house before I change my mind."

~"~"~"~

Alicia double checked her plan: Reservations for a romantic dinner at Carim's favorite restaurant, check. Rings, check. Proposal speech, check. Large pool of water to drown herself in when Carim rejected her, check. Looking out the back window she could see the new pool waiting for its grand unveiling once school ended for the summer. She could almost picture the beautiful blue eyed woman lounging back there, asking her in that sweet voice to put suntan lotion on her. This had to work, it would work!

Fate was sitting the couch watching her sister fidget, it was very amusing. Alicia normally was the pinnacle of assured calmness but tonight she was a nervous wreck.

Getting up Fate gave her sister a small pat on the head and said, "It'll be fine. Just go with the flow and be thankful she doesn't have a father like Shiro waiting to dice you into pieces if you make her cry. Though I think Shiro would do it anyway if she asked, he's taken a real liking to her."

Glaring now Alicia said, "You're not helping."

"Sure I am, I am being just as helpful as you were when I was floundering around regarding my feelings for Nanoha," Fate replied with a secret smile.

Unsure what this meant Alicia didn't comment and patted herself down once more then went to the mirror to make sure nothing was out of place. She looked gorgeous in the little black dress she was wearing and her makeup made her ruby eyes sparkle like gems. No woman or man in their right mind would have denied her anything tonight.

Fate step up behind her and teased, "Are you going to ask yourself or Carim to marry you, stop stalling or you're going to be late."

Watching her sister pull out Fate returned home knowing part one of her plan was now accomplished. The second part would take a bit more skill and persuasion to complete. But the largest hurdle was about to be jumped, the likely hood of her sister not being engaged by the end of the evening were infinitesimal. The only way she wouldn't be is if she didn't ask.

Entering her home she saw her family arrayed comfortably, Einhart looked up at her hopefully, "How is she?"

Rolling her eyes Fate said, "Being an idiot, needlessly worried. If Carim even had a clue of what was happening tonight she'd scream 'yes' the second they met up."

Nanoha poked her wife in the side and said, "Not everyone is as self assured as you Fate-chan. You really didn't give me much time to think before springing the question. We went from friends to lovers to engaged couple within a space of an hour. Even if it wasn't official until we got back and you had a ring and talked to papa."

Playing along Fate replied as she wrapped her arms around Nanoha's waist, "I had already wasted too much time as it was. Did you think I was going to let you get away? If you hadn't forewarned me about how upset your family would be if we eloped I would have married you that very weekend."

Feeling her heart flutter Nanoha asked quietly, "Would you have? Really?"

Kissing Nanoha's cheek then leaning further in Fate whispered, "That very night."

Vivio grumbled, "They're doing it again Ein-chan, do you think Lio-chan will put us up for the night? I really don't want to overhear them going at it _again_."

Nanoha turned and stuck her tongue at her daughter, "Hush you. I have years of romance to make up for. You've never been stuck in a loveless relationship so can have no idea how wonderful this all feels."

Wrapping her arms around Vivio's shoulders from behind Einhart leaned over and kissed her cheek before agreeing, "Your mom's right Vi, you wouldn't deprive them of their cuddle time would you?"

Wrinkling her nose Vivio said, "If they were _only_ cuddling, I'd have no problems. We definitely need to find a school with a dorm or get an apartment as soon as possible. These two are going to give me diabetes with all their lovey-dovey nonsense."

Rubbing her cheek against Vivio's Einhart pointed it, "It's not nonsense when we do it, is it?"

Reaching up Vivio poked Einhart's cheek and said, "You know it isn't. But even we as hormonal teenagers aren't as bad as them. I wonder if we should take their behavior as a challenge?"

Fate frowned and said, "Please don't, I really don't want to find you two half naked on the couch. We at least restrain ourselves to keep the worst of our behavior behind our bedroom door."

Vivio smirked at her stepmother and said, "Uh-huh sure, that's why Einhart and I have caught you two making out on the couch, on the kitchen countertops and in the hallway. I would have thought mama being pregnant would have dampened your libido, she is getting pretty big now."

The murderous look Nanoha gave her daughter made it clear she was unamused.

Seeing the look Fate saved her daughter from being annihilated by the White Devil by speaking, "I'll have you know I find Nanoha more attractive every day. One day I hope you'll understand this feeling. Whether it's as the giver or receiver of the love it doesn't matter. Finding the one person you can't live without and then sharing the miracle of creating life together makes everything more beautiful and precious."

The loving look she received for this speech was both a good and bad thing, the poor girls really were going to have to suffer through some _noise_ tonight.

Vivio and Einhart saw the look too and Einhart said dryly, "I think I'll call Lio-chan, we can work on our end of term project and avoid being traumatized tonight."

~"~"~"~

Dinner was turning into a fiasco for Alicia; a number of her exes were out this evening and were sending her glares. Oh why had ever thought being a playgirl was a good idea? How big of a scene would it cause with those women in the room to drop to her knees and ask Carim to be her wife? Would they gang up and string her up from the nearest telephone pole?

Carim could also feel the stares and felt herself wilting; these women were not only younger than her but were in many cases far more beautiful. She had to be deluding herself to believe Alicia was truly serious about them. No matter what Fate said, Alicia wasn't the marrying kind, the idea probably hadn't even occurred to her.

"Care-bear, what do say we go for a walk in the park, this place is beginning to feel stifling," Alicia pleaded as she tried to avoid the angry glares.

Agreeing wholehearted Carim grabbed her things. Anything to get away from those judging eyes, the glares she received when out with Alicia had grown increasingly penetrating the longer they went out. Tonight the women surrounding them seemed to be extra bloodthirsty.

Paying the bill Alicia led her across the way but could fail to notice one particular woman follow them out of the restaurant. She really didn't need this tonight. The further they got into the park the greater her sense of foreboding became. 'Please, please just go away,' Alicia pleaded in her mind with her unwanted pursuer.

"Alicia, I think we've walked enough for one night, let's just go home," Carim said after ten minutes of wandering through the deserted park.

The lamps kept it from feeling too creepy out but she could hear the following footsteps just as well as Alicia and she didn't want the night ruined further by a confrontation.

Panicking Alicia pulled Carim closer and kissed her. She couldn't go home until she asked her question; she wouldn't let another day pass by without asking. The kiss quickly grew heated as Alicia's desperation to let Carim know how she felt spilt over. Pushing her off the path Alicia soon had her pressed against a tree, she was losing control.

Dropping her purse Carim had her hands buried in Alicia's thick hair and was holding her in place. She needed to taste her, to drink down the desperate feelings pour off her. Carim wasn't sure what had made her lover so agitated but it awoke a similar need in her.

Just as Alicia's hands began to work their way into Carim's dress a voice broke them from their lust fueled daze, "I see you still like your quickies in the park with any slag who will spread her legs."

Hearing these words turned the red hot passion she had been feeling into frigid anger, turning to the woman Alicia's eyes gleamed like blood rubies in the dark. Stepping forward she slapped the woman so hard she fell back.

Standing over the now prone woman Alicia growled, "How dare you speak about the woman I love that way. She is worth a hundred of you."

Holding her bleeding mouth but still not cowed the woman sneered, "Yeah right, you're full of shit. How many women have you bedded with all your lines? You could have at least maintained your standards. Or are you doing her as a pity fuck."

"You bitch!" Alicia was about to jump on the woman and begin beating her when Carim caught her around the waist.

Pulling her away Carim tried to calm her, "Stop, she's not worth it. Let's go home now."

Body rigid with anger Alicia wanted to shake Carim off but wouldn't risk hurting her so let herself be led off.

The woman spat blood then said, "That's right run away you fucking cunt! You won't last another week; Alicia always gets tired of her lays. You're just another notch on her fucking bedpost."

The drive home was quiet and strained as Alicia clutched the steering wheel in frustration. This wasn't how this night was supposed to go. God damn her previous life and the stupid shit she had gotten into. She didn't want to lose Carim; she didn't want that life again. Why couldn't she just say the words? Why was she such a goddamn coward? The woman deserved better than just her verbal assurances she wouldn't leave her, she needed to make a real commitment before she lost her forever.

Turning in front of her house Alicia pulled the car into the garage, briefly she snuck a peek at Carim who looked exhausted from the whole fiasco.

Sighing she leaned her head against the steering wheel, "I'm sorry. I keep screwing things up because of my past. I don't know why you bother with someone like me. What do you see in me? I look at other couples and I can under them: Fate and Nanoha, Rein and Hayate, Vivio and Einhart, Arisa and Suzuka, Arf and Zafira, heck even Miyuki and Zest make more sense. What do I give you? I am a complete joke Carim, and you're sophisticated, intelligent and mature…"

Sighing Carim said, "You mean old…"

Looking up Alicia frown and said, "No, I mean mature. Carim, Einhart is more mature than me. That kid has plans for the future; I've never planned more than six weeks in advance. I don't know where I'll be this time next year or what I'll be doing. The only thing I do know is I want you there by my side. Next year, five years from now, ten, twenty, fifty, until the day I die. I so want to ask you to marry me but I'm scared. I'm scared of hurting you, ruining your future, making you regret choosing me. Right now you can walk away and it'd only be my heart broken; if we marry I'll want it all, I want a family with you. What kind of wife and mother would I make? A horrible one. You deserve better."

Shocked at the admission Carim asked, "Do you really want to marry me? Have a family with me?"

"Of course I do," then Alicia fished out the ring box from her purse and showed it to her, "I meant to ask you tonight but everything was so horrible. I can't ask you like this. You deserve the whole romantic atmosphere and to be wined and dined properly then at dessert I would get down on bended knee and ask you but those women ruined everything. I am an idiot. I don't know why I ever bothered with them; they were all users and fakes. They never saw me or cared about me."

Trying not to get caught up in the idea of a proposal being forthcoming Carim took a moment to breathe. Alicia was scared but she wasn't really saying what she was scared of, asking kindly, "Alicia, why are you so scared? Do you think you'll end up cheating on me?"

Vehemently Alicia said, "No! That's not the problem. I meant what I said before, I only want you. That's not going to change. Carim, I have nothing of substance to offer you. I am still the same person I was in college; I haven't grown up or matured. I can barely take care of myself. I can't cook, I can be a slob, I have the stupidest hobbies for a woman of my age, playing video games and reading Sci-Fi novels, and I have no career prospects."

Petting Alicia's face Carim tried to reassure her, "My love, your hobbies aren't something to be ashamed of, lots of people older and more mature than you enjoy them also. I don't expect you to cook for me, I like being the one to feed you. I don't think you're a slob, messy maybe but you always clean up your mess without me having to nag you. As for not being mature, I like your childishness. Both you and your sister have a child like nature that calls out for someone to spoil you. Both Nanoha and I want to be the one to do the spoiling and we both get a great deal of fulfillment from the effort. When you smile and laugh I feel so warm and happy inside I can't even begin to describe it. Your happiness is my happiness."

Still sulky Alicia pointed out, "You didn't mention my lack of career. I'm a lazy lay about, how's that going to look to your colleagues?"

"Do you really want to work? Or are you being difficult?" Carim asked seriously.

With a seriousness rarely seen Alicia said, "I want to teach. I want to do something worthwhile with my life but no one will give me a chance. I couldn't work in a school now even if I built one."

Smiling Carim said, "Finish your doctorate and I can guarantee you a position teaching at a university. Between Shamal and I we can persuade the dean to hire you. So get off your tailbone and finish your dissertation so I can put you to work."

Struck dumb for a moment Alicia couldn't even breathe then threw herself forward to hug the life out of her girlfriend, "Thank you, I swear I'll have that stupid paper done before the summer is over."

Rubbing her back Carim hummed with happiness, Alicia was practically radiating excitement and joy. Even if it took a little longer to get the proposal at least now she knew Alicia was thinking about it.

Suddenly Alicia pulled back and with a grin climbed out of the car. Wondering where she was going Carim was about to open the door to follow when the door opened without warning and Alicia was pulling her legs out of the car so she was facing her.

On bended knee Alicia produced the little black box again and with shaking fingers pried open the box, "Care-bear, I love you. Will you do me the highest honor I could ever hope to be granted and marry me?"

The rings were gorgeous but they could have come out of a cracker jacks box as long as they came with the question she'd been dying to hear for so long.

Pulling Alicia in for a kiss that left the younger woman stunned then moving from her mouth Carim begin to pepper her lover's face and neck with kisses as she whispered over and over again, "Yes."

Groaning when Carim found a particularly sensitive spot and began to suck Alicia's hands immediately began searching for ways to return the favor. The sound of her dress being undone and the feeling of cool air as the front was pulled down made the blue eyed woman moan, "Bedroom."

Ducking her head to tease the soft mounds Alicia spoke between kisses, "Soon, I plan on loving you all night. But I don't want to stop until I finish what I started in the park. I want to feel you so bad and we've never done it in my car. I think it's time we made it _ours_."

It wasn't until much later as she laid dozing with her fiancée in _their_ bed that Alicia realized she hadn't put the ring on Carim's finger. Sneaking down to her car to found the ring box and had to laugh a little to herself, Carim had wanted her more than the ring. That felt incredibly good, it wasn't the material things she could give the woman that mattered, it was just her.

Coming back up the stairs she tried to think of ways to celebrate further, what else could she do to express this feeling of unbelievable happiness? Coming back to the room she saw Carim was searching for her restlessly with one hand as she slept. Sliding back into the bed she pulled the sleeping woman to her and took her hand to slip the ring on her hand. Kissing her one more time she snuggled in and decided a little nap would do her good, soon enough things would be getting hectic.

~"~"~"~

Fate woke to the feeling of her wife's hands playing with her hair, opening sleepy burgundy eyes she could see love and contentment in sapphire eyes. Pulling her down for a kiss Fate was pretty sure she was in heaven, she loved waking up this way.

Sitting up Nanoha smiled at her sleepy puppy as she stretched, maybe she shouldn't be so hard on Hayate the pajama onesie was too cute for words on the blonde. She still felt a little foolish wearing hers but she hadn't stayed in it for long once she stepped out of the bathroom. The hungry look in her puppy's eyes made it clear she was ready to chase her kitten straight to their bed. Pulling the outfits back on to keep warm and play around afterwards had been one of the silliness and sweetness moments of her life.

"So Fate-chan do we go down stairs like this or change first? I'd hate for any unexpected guests to see us like this," Nanoha queried.

Pulling her pregnant kitty onto her lap Fate said, "Hmm, I would like to see you in this outfit for a little longer but I don't know if I can trust that sister of mine not to bust in here like a dervish shouting her good news. She most definitely does not deserve to see you like this."

Flicking Fate's nose softly Nanoha said, "You make it sound like seeing me like this would be something she'd appreciate."

"She'd appreciate the opportunity to tease us both relentlessly. I can only be thankful she isn't interested in you the way I am. I'd hate to have to strangle her if she tried something," Fate said easily.

Thinking about this Nanoha said, "You were really angry with her the other night. Would you really have hit her if she had kept up her behavior?"

Rubbing Nanoha's thighs Fate said, "I don't know. She's never pushed me that hard. Then again she's never had such an easy target to rile me up with. I love her and never want to hurt her but sometimes she can be so self destructive. It's like she wants to…for a lack of a better of way of saying this, she wants to lower herself to my level. She wants to be as broken as I am."

Pushing back Fate's fringe Nanoha said, "But you're not broken love."

There was a sad look in Fate's eyes when she spoke, "Deep down Alicia has always seen me as slightly broken. She actually needed me to be on some level, it gave her a goal; she had to put me back together again. She always said I was fine but she hovered over me as if I was an invalid for years, tried to make all my decisions for me and never really believed I'd be able to live a life of my own. It's not like she did this out of pity for me. It was her guilt for not having suffered at our mother's hands that made her act this way. Whenever the subject of my care and comfort came up she was never very rational."

"So she tried to stunt both your growth by freezing you both at nine years old?" Nanoha asked testily.

"No mio amore, she really did want to see me succeed. If anyone was stunted it was her, she continually put me before everything else in her life and in doing so she ruined a lot of her chances for happiness. At some point she just wanted to stop feeling all that disappointment and instead of getting angry with me she became a party girl. I can only be thankful Carim was able to see past her façade."

Now feeling a little guilty Nanoha sighed, "I guess I really shouldn't be so hard on her then. She really did her best to take care of you even if it was in a horribly misguided way most of the time."

Laughing Fate said, "It wasn't all that bad mio amore, you have to admit my sense of humor is well developed, not to mention I have a ton of patience. Nothing our children throw at us will faze me in the least after a lifetime with Alicia."

Leaning in carefully Nanoha kissed her wife with an amused smile, "I guess that's a perk for putting up with her madness all these years. She really is a good big sister when it comes down to it. I just hope for Carim's sake she learns to think before acting."

Pulling her wife's hood up to see her with those cute cat ears perched on her head again, Fate smiled at how utterly adorable her wife was and said, "When others are involved she normally at least considers their feelings. Maybe not all of the repercussions of her actions but she's always been more a, 'the ends justify the means,' kind of woman."

Nuzzling their noses together Nanoha said, "I'm so glad you're not like that."

Squeezing her kitty's rear end lovingly before moving her hands to play with the tail Fate was beginning to wonder if they could just stay in bed all day. There was something seriously wrong with how attractive she found her wife in this outfit. Seeing the arousal growing in Fate's eyes Nanoha reached for her zipper and lowered it to reveal her cleavage making Fate groan.

Smirking Nanoha ran her hands up the length of Fate's torso and purred, "What's wrong Fate-nyan? Cat got your tongue?" then she caught Fate's mouth in a hot kiss sucking on the blonde's tongue lovingly for a moment.

Rolling them carefully Fate looked down on her wife breathing heavily, "You're incorrigible."

Nanoha pulled on her paw like mittens at the end of her sleeves and held her hands under her chin before saying with a mock innocent face, "But you like it, don't you Fate-nyan?"

The wide eyed look of desire Fate gave Nanoha at this blatant tease showed her arousal had been peaked and her self control was depleted. She was about to descend onto her naughty kitty when there was a loud slamming noise and Alicia's voice sounded, "FATE-CHAN, NANOHA-CHAN ARE YOU AWAKE?"

Fate groaned in dismay, "I never should have given her a key to the house. Surely she has better things to do this morning…"

Giggling at the disappointed look on Fate's face Nanoha cut her off with a soft paw to her lips, "Your sister wants to share her happiness with us. We can fool around later, I promise I won't play hard to get."

Sighing Fate nodded then got up to go to the door, sticking her head out she called back to her sister, "We'll be right down Alicia."

Turning back Fate saw Nanoha pulling on a more modest outfit of day clothes and the kitty PJ onesie was laying on the bed, wrapping her arms around Nanoha's waist she snuggled for a moment before saying, "You know you're going to have to thank Hayate properly for these pajamas."

Turning Nanoha reached for Fate's hoodie and pulled it up before sliding her hand in to cup her cheek, "I don't plan on giving her the satisfaction of knowing she found my pervert switch. If she asks about them I'm going to tell her I threw them away. Her crowing over me and the gawd awful teasing that would come with admitting to liking them is unacceptable."

Brow furrowing Fate asked, "Are you ashamed of our behavior? You seemed to enjoy teasing me with your kitty play?"

Kissing Fate gently Nanoha admitted, "Hayate may be my best friend but there are things I'd rather not share with her because I know she'd take it too far in teasing me. That's why you didn't want your sister to see us right?"

Pressing her forehead to Nanoha's Fate agreed, "Yes, I have no problem with enjoying these outfits with you but I don't like the idea of anyone teasing us for what is entirely our private business. Though I wonder if Hayate will try again…I can see her giving us another set for my birthday or Christmas. Maybe I should mention I'd be able to convince you to keep something _skimpier_?"

Nanoha poked her wife in the stomach and said half laughing/half growling, "Don't you dare. You are so bad sometimes Fate-chan."

~"~"~"~

Coming down both fully dressed Fate and Nanoha found Alicia and Carim sitting on the couch, Alicia's smile was radiant and Carim was blushing shyly which made her appear younger than her partner.

Fate could already read the mood but didn't want to steal Alicia's thunder so asked teasingly, "Good morning Alicia, Carim, what's so urgent you had to drag me out of my warm bed so early in the morning?"

Alicia picked up Carim's left hand which was linked with her own and beaming said, "She said yes! We're engaged!"

Smirking a little Fate said, "Congratulations you two. Carim I told you this nut would eventually get her act together and ask you. I look forward to day I can call you my sister."

Carim stood up and hugged Fate whispering, "Thank you."

They both knew it wasn't just for the sentiment she just expressed but for giving Alicia the push to finally ask the big question. Nanoha moved in to hug Carim next after having fought off her sister-in-law's exuberant hug. The two women briefly exchanged a hug and their mutual happiness at being future sisters before turning to look at their matching blondes. Alicia was so happy she had Fate in a bear hug and nearly had her off her feet. The look on Fate's face was one of resigned acceptance of the monstrous hug. Looking at the on-looking pair she gave them a grimacing smile due to the strength of the hug.

Before Fate began turning blue from suffocation Nanoha poked Alicia in the side and said, "Um Cia-chan, you mind not breaking my wife. I still have need of her."

When Alicia let Fate go she wobbled a bit and took a much needed breath, shaking her head she rolled her eyes at the exuberance but was really pleased so teased, "Really I haven't seen you this excited since we were kids. If I remember the last time correctly you ended up…umpf!"

Alicia jumped back on her sister and clamped a hand tightly over her mouth desperate to shut her up. Carim did not need to hear about that! Fate looked at her sister with eyes twinkling madly, revenge was so sweet. Years of being the silent suffering little sister was about to pay off real dividends, Carim deserved to learn all there was to know about her wife. Nanoha loved hearing about her youthful follies and Alicia had been feeding them to her wholesale.

The glare Alicia was now sending her sister's way might have scared others but to Fate it was about as effective as being mauled by a week old kitten. Over use and a real lack of serious repercussions meant Fate was more than willing to wait out her sister and start spilling her " _deep dark secrets_." Alicia's last exuberant outburst was her winning a signed limited edition promotional short story by her favorite author. She had geeked out so hard when she receive the package and spent the following weeks rereading the entire series and watching the films based on them then quoting the books/movies at her sister and annoying their father. It got so bad she practically sat on Fate until she illustrated the short story for her, hanging over her shoulder and complaining if Fate's interpretation of the material didn't match what was in her head. It took days of constant work to finally satisfy the girl and get some peace. Alicia Testarossa really was an obsessive geek.

The two stared at each other in a showdown of patience and nerves, both of which Fate had a larger supply of, when Fate's cell phone went off. Calling a temporary truce Fate pulled away and answered. The frantic voice on the line was hard to understand but recognizing the voice she was able to figure out what was going on.

Speaking as calmly as possible Fate said, "Calm down Zafira, help Arf out of the house, I'll bring the car around and get you to the hospital."

Hanging up Fate turned to the others and said with a radiant smile, "Arf's gone into labor, time to move out. It looks like today is going to be a very memorable day for a lot of people. "

~"~"~"~

Arf is about to have her baby but readers will note I have never mentioned the gender of the baby in prior chapters. I now leave it up to you readers to decide: Boy or Girl. I will keep the poll open for 48 hours then a new poll will go up with a small selection of names for people to vote upon. If you don't have an account and can't vote please leave me a review at least and I will take those responses into consideration too.


	23. Chapter 23: Looking to the Future

A/N: Hi all! So sorry it's taken so long to update. Life has been both horrible and great to me recently. I just got back from visiting my best friend who had a stroke and has now reverted to a sort of infancy. As you can imagine seeing a close friend who has always been a stubbornly strong and independent person in such a state hurt me a lot. I visited her back in March and do see some improvement but it's going to a long road to recovery for her. On the positive side I got a promotion at work and have been working my butt off trying to wrap my mind around the new position and helping other departments. With life being so schizophrenic I don't know how quickly I'll be able to update but I promise I will never abandon my story.

On a side note I have also have another story in the works but won't be posting it until it's complete. I'd say that it's about 75% done but needs a lot of polishing before I start uploading. The last thing I want to do is have two stories ongoing at the same time and then stress out over updating.

POLL: I have another Poll for my readers in this chapter. I need your help with names. Please read the chapter then mosey on over to my profile and at the top of the page should be a link to the poll. Please vote for what names you like most. If you have issues finding the poll or don't have an account please feel free to "vote" by leaving me a review with your choice.

Disclaimer: I do not own MGLN or any of its characters, no profit or claim of ownership is being made with this story.

~"~"~"~

Chapter 23: Looking to the Future

Nanoha couldn't help smiling down at her sleeping goddess despite her growing misgivings. Her poor Fate-chan had been run through the mill that day and all had caught a glimpse of her indomitable spirit and fragile core. Fate had never planned to go into the delivery room with Arf that was what her husband was for. All Fate had signed up for was to get the couple to the hospital and to be the one to make sure all the insurance forms and the like were filled out then she'd be out the door. She was still far too twitchy while in a hospital setting to even be comfortable enough to wait out the labor for the birth. She had planned to wait until Arf and the baby was released from the hospital before going to see them.

Fate had watched delivery films and had made short forays into hospitals to increase her tolerance of the scent of the place but as of that day Nanoha wasn't comfortable with the idea of Fate actually going into a delivery room. As much as she wanted to share the birth of their children with her wife she wouldn't force her into a situation where she could be further traumatized. Her mother was planning on being her breathing coach and to stand by her during the _messy bit_. So there was no reason for Nanoha to expect Fate to do what she did that day.

Having completed the last form and already showing signs of stress Fate was ready to bolt out of the hospital when she saw her best friend's husband being carting out of the delivery room. The poor man had passed out, whether it was from the graphic horrors of childbirth or pain from having his arm broken by his enraged wife was a tossup. All Fate knew was now Arf was alone in one of the most stressful and emotionally draining moments of a woman's life. She knew Hayate or Shamal would be happy to stand by her when they arrived but who knew how long that would be?

In the past few weeks since Arf had moved to Japan Fate was truly beginning to remember what her connection with the redhead had been and saw it re-emerge between them. Arf had no siblings and had witnessed her parents lose half a dozen pregnancies. She was their miracle child and had been doted on but her naturally gregarious personality meant she needed more. She needed all the surrogate family members she could adopt, or as she was teased, she needed her pack. Fate had been the first person she adopted and as such she had been the most loved and missed. Fate was the sister she never had and held a special place in her heart no one else could touch.

Arf was very much like Nanoha in her attachment to Fate, but there had never been and never would be a romantic aspect to her need to have Fate in her life. Nanoha had felt a few twinges of jealousy when she saw the closeness between them grow deeper thanks to her pregnancy hormones but there was vast difference in the ways Fate looked at each of them. The loving look she bestowed upon Arf was the same she gave to Alicia and Einhart; it spoke of devotion and familial bonds. When Fate looked upon Nanoha her eyes were of course filled with love but there was a spark of desire always smoldering and hint of desperation that spoke of her need to prove her worth to her angel. Nanoha's own eyes reflected the same things when she looked at Fate and was why both women went out of their way to try and soothe the other's not so secret fears.

So seeing the indecision on Fate's face on whether she should just flee the hospital as she so desperately wanted or to step up and stand by her surrogate sister in her time of need Nanoha tried to relieve her.

Patting her arm Nanoha has said, "Love, go home. I'll stay with her until Hayate or one of the others gets here. I'll call you to pick me up then."

The desperate want to give in and escape was on her face. Then she looked at Nanoha and could see the sadness in them. She could see the future disappointment. Instead of fleeing Fate had shaken her head and swallowed her fear. Rigid and terrified she had walked to a nurse and had them provide her with scrubs. Nanoha had followed along, worried she was about to see her wife pass out or worse freak out. Instead Fate concentrated on the pain and worry on her friend's face. She knew pain and fear intimately and couldn't stand seeing anyone she loved suffering.

Taking Arf's hand Fate fell into speaking to her old friend in Italian and the weak smile Arf gave her as she squeezed her hand showed her infinite gratitude for Fate being there. As long as Fate didn't think about what the doctors were doing Fate found it easy to stay calm. Having attended all the birthing classes with Nanoha and Momoko she knew exactly what was expected of a coach and proved to be a good one. She didn't even wince when Arf tried to crush her hand in pain but spoke calming words of support to her sister in all but blood. As the hours passed Hayate and Shamal offered to take Fate's place but she refused. Having claimed this spot, this familial duty, that she knew instinctively Arf needed her to fill she wasn't going to relinquish it.

When the screaming started Fate held tight to her friend's hand and didn't even notice her own tears flowing that had nothing to do with physical pain. The smell of blood and antiseptic grew but the soft mewling cries of a baby cut through her looming flashback. When the doctor called out for Arf to get ready to push again after Shamal cut the umbilical cord for the family Fate had thought it was for the afterbirth. Instead she was shocked by the cry of a second child that was interrupted by a cute little sneeze. Turning she saw a surprised Nanoha holding a baby in her arms as Hayate hesitantly cut the second cord.

How Fate got through the next hour she wasn't sure. She remembered vaguely being lead out of the delivery room by a gentle hand that must have been Nanoha as it felt safe. She remembered holding first one baby then two and Arf saying something about her being their godmother. She remembered a short ride in her car home but still being lost in a daze, thinking about how tiny her surrogate niece and nephew had been. Then there had been the wonderful feeling of her wife helping her wash off the nauseating smell of the hospital off herself and being settled in their bed snuggled up against the comforting warmth that was her wife.

The only problem Nanoha had with the entire day was would she in the near future look back on it with real resentment? If Fate now refused to stand by her when their children were born how much damage would that do to their relationship? If she demanded Fate to be there and she freaked out what would that do to the trust she had for Nanoha? Why had Fate insisted on this course of action? Did she have any idea of what she might have done to them?

After an hour of sleep Fate woke up to the feeling of Nanoha's hands playing with her hair and an air of disquiet. As the events of the day flooded back to her she suddenly realized what she'd done and the freak out she had somehow prevented while in "The Moment" came to her with a vengeance. Stumbling out of bed she barely had time to grab the trash can beside her side of the bed and vomit the contents of her stomach for the last ten years. If one could vomit their own shoes when not wearing any she would have at that point with the strength of her heaving.

Shaking Fate curled into a ball and tried not to let the remembered smell of blood and the screams of pain from earlier in the day tear her delicate psyche to pieces. She tried to bring up the memories of the babies...wait? Babies? Why were there babies? She could remember holding two babies and the sobs of terror turned into hiccupping sobs of wonder. Then loving arms were holding her as gentle words of love helped her center herself again.

Once Fate's sobs died down and she was breathing normally again Nanoha tried to make light of her growing disappointment, "I guess this means you won't be in the delivery room with me when the time comes. Oh well, I guess mama will have to put up with all my vulgarities, she'll probably want to wash my mouth out with soap once she realizes how extensive my vocabulary is when it comes to profanity."

Burying her face in the scent of her wife's clean sweet smelling hair Fate took a settling breath then said, "I want to be there for you. I need to be there for you. I realized that today. When I knew Arf was all alone because Zafira couldn't handle it I had to step up to be there for her. She's like a sister to me and when the time comes I want to be there for Alicia when she has her baby. You, Arf and Alicia are my family, it's not just my duty to be there for you, it's a privilege I should never take for granted. I don't care if doing it makes the flashbacks come because doing this will let me make memories far more precious than anything else I can remember. Mio amore I want to be the one holding your hand when you give birth to our children."

The grip Nanoha had on her wife tightened and she began to cry. She wasn't sure if she should or could believe her wife's words. Fate had never lied to her, had never broken a promise, but could she really walk into the delivery room in a few short months? Could she stand there as she cried in pain and deal with the hospital smells once again? Surely today would have used up what little reserve bravery her wife had and on the day she will be disappointed.

Shifting so now Nanoha was cradled in her arms Fate rubbed her back and took comfort from the warm bundle as much as she gave from the embrace. Shushing Nanoha, Fate tried to explain and give her real hope that her wife wasn't going to disappoint her.

"Mio amore, I told you before I am tired of being scared. I am tired of letting my past hold me back. I will not let what my mother did to me take away one of the most important memories I could possibly have of our children's lives. I won't let it stop me from being the wife you deserve. I know I will eventually freak out over the stimuli I'll be exposed to but I'll have you and our babies to snap me out of it. My mind and body don't want to dwell on the past when there is something or _someone_ more pleasing to concentrate on."

Sniffing back her tears Nanoha tried not to be a drama queen but her hormones and selfishness when it came to Fate were all roaring, "Fate-chan, please don't say these things to me. If you end up not being able to go through with the birth it will hurt me so much. It could ruin things between us by destroying my trust in you. I have a hard enough time controlling my paranoia as it is."

Sighing Fate stood up with Nanoha in her arms, sitting her down on their bed she then went to the bathroom. Much like the night they became a couple Nanoha sat worried she had ruined things with her stupid mouth. Then Fate came back out and like the first night came back to claim what was hers with a startling kiss. Pulling at Nanoha's shirt Fate broke the kiss just long enough to free her from its confines and push her down to lay flat.

Pressing kisses down her wife's neck Fate spoke fervently, "You are my life. I promised to love, honor and cherish you for as long as I shall live and mean too. I know being the one to cut the cord and actually stand at the end of the table with the doctor and nurses is too much for me but I can be the one to stand by your side and hold your hand. I will be more than happy to have you crush my hand and if you decide you need to break something I'm going to be it. And that won't be an excuse for me to escape out of the room. I don't care if bone is exposed. I am going to be right there until the end."

The kisses and the loving words went a long way to relieving the anxious feeling in her chest. When Fate made her joke about Zafira's ignoble escape from the delivery room Nanoha couldn't help giggling.

Pushing Fate up to look at her with humored eyes she asked, "Do you really think Zafira faked his unconsciousness to escape?"

Much relieved to see the humor Fate shifted to hover over her wife so she could give a shrug, "I don't know. He was already pretty panicky as it was, seeing them put the epidural in might have been the straw that broke the camel's back since she snapped his arm when the nurse missed the first time. She was complaining about incompetent staffing and demanding a lot more drugs there for a while."

Reaching up Nanoha cupped Fate's face and said seriously, "You will not be in the room when they do that to me. I'll let mom know when it's safe to let you in."

Smiling at this show of concern Fate lowered herself down again for a kiss then said, "Just like when we did the harvesting of the ovum I plan on keeping my eyes on you. My attention will be completely on you, looking into your beautiful eyes," then stealing another kiss she continued lips barely a centimeter from her wife's, "Actually that's my plan for the rest of my life, keep my eyes on you and do whatever I can to make you happy and comfortable."

Feeling the knot of anxiety loosen further in the pit of her stomach Nanoha pushed her wife over and took _her_ place on top of her wife. More than willing to give Nanoha anything and everything she wanted Fate let herself roll onto her back and helped her wife settle comfortably on her hips. Rubbing her hands up and down Nanoha's thighs Fate could feel her arousal grow, she was addicted to her beautiful angel and had no plans to ever give her a reason to regret blessing her with her love. With eyes now growing hot with desire Fate stared straight into Nanoha's sapphire eyes as she let her hands smooth over her swelling stomach.

Nanoha had occasionally worried about her desirability but Fate squashed those fears before they could even begin to take root. The way she touched her and looked at her made it clear Fate was just as attracted to her now as she had been on the night they first became intimate. In addition to that desire was Fate's increasing level of comfort in sharing herself with Nanoha. The flinching and hesitation that had plagued their love making in the beginning had nearly completely disappeared.

Running a hand down Fate's front she couldn't help smirking at the heavily lidded look her lover was now giving her. The shiver of need that she could feel as she let her hands tease their way under Fate's shirt made it clear she wasn't going to be able to control herself for much longer. The light touch skimming along a sensitive scar made the muscles beneath jump and Fate swallowed hard to prevent a moan of desire escaping. If Nanoha continued to tease her then the blonde would make sure her naughty wife got exactly what was coming to her.

Playing with the buttons of Fate's pants Nanoha let her fingers pluck at the fabric as she slowly undid each button. When she finally slid a single finger into the now exposed panties to brush over the sensitive mound Fate growled in desperation and bucked her hips up. The movement made Nanoha moan and that was all Fate needed to let her hands release her tight grip on Nanoha's hips and practically rip off her skirt. She had just gone through a traumatic experience and now her entire being was calling out for Nanoha. Not because she was her security blanket, not because she was her crutch but because Nanoha was the one person she could show her fear and weakness to and not feel broken. Nanoha accepted her and loved her, she needed that acceptance and love now more than ever to push the negative thoughts and feelings away.

Long sensitive fingers explored their favorite playground, teasing full breasts, massaging tender flesh and eliciting the delicious moans of pleasure she now thrived on. Sitting up she tore her shirt off then pulled Nanoha closer so she could feel warm soft skin press against her. Unhooking both their bras Nanoha moaned when her increasingly sensitive nipples brushed against Fate's.

Pressing nipping kisses down Fate's neck Nanoha whimpered, "I love you. I love the way you feel."

Fate could feel Nanoha's hands on her scarred back, the loving touch made her want to melt into Nanoha. Slipping a hand between them, Fate found Nanoha's growing belly made the angle a bit more difficult but nothing was going to stop her loving her wife. Pushing aside moist panties Fate found what she so desperately wanted. Slipping in one then two fingers inside her wife's welcoming warmth she concentrated on the way Nanoha's body seemed to try to pull her in. Stroke after loving stroke pushed her lover closer to the edge as Nanoha held tightly to her, rocking her hips in time to increase the friction.

Scrambling hands tried to find a way to pull them closer as the end drew near, Fate sensing it bit down on Nanoha's sweet spot on her shoulder as she growled lovingly, "Mine."

The marking and claiming of each other had come to be a necessity for both of them. Both were becoming more possessive of the other due to rocketing hormones and the stressors around them. While they did their best not to get completely wrapped up in each other since they both had other obligations once they were alone in their room nothing but each other mattered. Here in this private sanctum they would indulge themselves totally.

Pulling her hand away gently Fate smiled at the low moan Nanoha gave, it was clear her lover wasn't completely satisfied. That wasn't a problem, she wasn't anywhere near done loving her.

~"~"~"~

Dinner time

Fate came down the stairs rather concerned with what might be going on with the rest of her family and friends. She had been hiding in her cocoon of love and security for the past few hours and the last clear memory she had was Nanoha leading her out of the hospital as the Wolkenritters descended on mass on Arf and their newest family members. So seeing her sister and future sister-in-law sitting on the couch snuggled up with Alicia looking completely traumatized left her wondering what had happened...this time.

Sitting down across from the pair Fate lifted an eyebrow and gave Carim a questioning look. The blonde sighed and said, "Your sister has officially been shanghaied into carrying our child. The Lady of the Lake has declared I am to use my mad scientist skills to ensure the pregnancy of Rein, Alicia, Alisa and...um Signum."

Nanoha came down the stairs in time to hear this last line and busted out laughing, "Oh gawd! Please Carim please tell me you're joking. That woman is scary enough without pregnancy hormones. For heaven's sake she owns more katanas than my father, if she goes on a hormone fueled rage she could take out half the city before they could put her down."

Shaking her head resignedly Carim said, "No, this order came directly from Shamal. I would love to see anyone stand up to her and survive. She's had Signum wrapped around her little finger since they were kids."

Fate wasn't as familiar with the Wolkenritters as Nanoha and Carim but this little tidbit of knowledge tickled her to no end. Signum had spent the past few weeks glaring at Fate and trying to appear as menacing as possible in an effort to claim the Wolkenritter family's dominance over the future offspring Arf was carrying. Before Nanoha came into her life Fate might have let the woman get away with this and worked around the problem by avoiding her. Instead Fate had proven she wasn't a pushover by staring her down and in the end intimidating her by letting her see her in a sleeveless shirt. After seeing Fate's scars Signum silently conceded nothing she could do (or would be willing to do) could be worse than what the woman had already survived.

Nanoha's brow furrowed in worry as she took this in and in a show of consolation she patted both Carim and Alicia on the shoulder before settling on the couch next to Fate, "Sorry. I think it'd be easier to flee the country and change your names than to try to dissuade Shamal from her current plans. She's wanted kids for years with Signum but never thought it'd happen. You coming up with your breakthrough and Fate funding this experiment just means she's going to run roughshod over everyone until she gets what she wants. Especially now that her biological clock has been kicked off by Arf having her babies."

Not liking the sound of this Fate spoke up, "Well if she thinks she's going to get anyone in my family jumping through hoops for her she is sadly mistaken. Carim is my sister now and I won't stand by while someone tries to bully her. Besides that Carim and Alicia still need to get married before they start thinking of having a baby. I won't have this woman rushing them, they deserve to get married in a ceremony that will make both of them happy. The same goes for Rein and Hayate, one would think she'd have some consideration for them at the very least."

Both the blondes on the opposite couch looked at Fate as if she was an alien while Nanoha gave her wife a sympathetic smile before replying, "Good luck with that love. Shamal might appear to be a kind and motherly type of person and most of the time she is but that woman is just one lightning rod short of becoming the type of doctor that has villagers knocking on the door with pitchforks and torches. Believe me when I say she could really traumatize you Fate-chan if she thought that was the only way to get her way. Think of it this way, where the hell do you think Hayate learned to be a devious manipulator, not to mention a pervert."

Leaning into her wife Fate let their noses touch as she spoke, "Nanoha, she can try but all she'll end up doing is pissing me off. You know I hate fighting and how my losing my temper can affect me but think back to when Cypha attacked you. I didn't lose my equilibrium after I threw her out of the house. She tried to hurt you. Anyone hurting my family will find a whole different side of me coming to the fore."

Alicia frowned as she thought about this and pointed out, "You know that's true. I remember once when we were visiting the US and how a guy kept hitting on me. I told him to leave me alone a couple times but I was already pretty drunk and he was getting pushy. All I could think of doing was calling for Fate and sent her a text message asking her to pick me up. She showed up so fast I am sure she must have sped the entire way and that man found himself knocked on his ass when he tried to rope her into a threesome. I'm pretty sure you broke his nose and even if your English is atrocious you made it pretty clear how disgusted you were with him. I didn't even need to comfort you that night for your actions. You spent the whole night chewing me out over my stupidity."

Giving her sister an annoyed look Fate said, "You were being stupid. You went out alone and were drinking to an excess. You had been warned there was group of men using those clubs to drug women and rape them," suddenly Fate was getting agitated. Glaring at her sister now she said with an edge to her voice, "How the hell did you think I was going to respond? The very idea of anyone touching you, hurting you…"

Fate's voice trailed off as her already frayed nerves snapped and she was suddenly crying again. Stupid Alicia!

Freaking out Alicia said, "Hey, hey no! Don't cry Fate-chan. It's okay. Nothing bad happened remember. I'm okay and now I'm going to be a boring married old lady so you won't have to worry about that kind of stuff ever again."

Carim was worried about her sister-in-law to be but her fiancée's words made her snort and shake her head, "No, I am sure she'll have a whole new set of things to worry about now that you're going to be a _boring married old lady._ "

Hearing the annoyed but humored tone in Carim's voice helped Fate calm down almost as much as Nanoha's soothing touch, taking a deep breath Fate replied, "Sorry about that. Stupid Cia-nee you know I'm nothing but a ball of raw nerves right now and you just had to push my buttons. It's one of my biggest fears, I don't know how I would survive knowing I wasn't able to protect one of my loved ones and they were hurt. Alicia's former lifestyle often left me feeling worried, especially when she'd disappear for days on end without calling."

Guilt stricken Alicia came over to her sister and sat on her knees before her and took her hands, "Imōto, I am so sorry. I had no idea I was causing you pain. I just thought I was giving you a break from my foolishness. I know I can cause you so much trouble so I tried to schedule breaks so you didn't end up hating me."

Reaching out Fate popped Alicia on the side of her head and laughed at the shocked look on her sister's face. Her physical blow spoke volumes on how much more comfortable she was in her own skin and her relationships. She never physically teased anyone, at least not until Nanoha came into her life. The auburn haired woman was teaching Fate all sorts of new ways to open up and connect with others.

Poking her sister on the nose Fate said, "Cia-nee, you might be the most annoying person I know sometimes but I love you. Nothing will ever change that. No matter how much trouble you've caused me over the years or the insanity of your actions I wouldn't trade you for any other sister in the world. Do you want to know why?"

Still stunned into silence Alicia could only nod and listen.

Smiling now Fate leaned over and kissed her sister's forehead before saying, "Because I know you wouldn't trade me for anyone else. You never forgot me. There are not many people, let alone children, who would spend three years of their lives trying to get back to someone a world away. Then spend nearly two decades helping rebuild that person's broken psyche all without a word of complaint. Certain people like to say I am a saint or some form of divinity but I think you have a better claim on that title. You were my first guardian angel."

Alicia was now crying and threw her arms around her sister and was saying, "Nope, you are the angel in the family. I was just being selfish; I just want my sister with me. I don't feel right inside when we're apart. I need my Imōto. You've always been the brave and good one in the family."

Laughing Fate patted her sister's head and said, "Colibrì, you know you have always been the brave one, fearlessly flirting about leading me on a wild goose chase trying to catch you."

Hugging her sister's midriff Alicia said sniffling, "You don't remember but Arf does and we talked about it. You've always been our protector. It was never the other way around. You've always been quiet and gentle but if anyone tried to hurt or bully us you'd flare up and knock the bully on their ass. It's what mother hated about you. You'd try to get between her and dad. You told her she needed help...well you said she needed a timeout and to think about how she was hurting others. You've never been one to standby and let someone get hurt."

Watching the pair together Nanoha couldn't help rubbing her stomach and thinking about a future day when she'd have another set of twins wrestling around on her couch. The feeling of life fluttering under her fingers made her smile widen, soon her lovely princesses would be in her arms. She couldn't wait to see her daughter that carried Fate's ruby eyes, she really would have her wrapped around her tiny pinky. Her goddess of a wife had her all wrapped up with nothing more than her puppy eyes. All she wanted was to see Fate smile with that contented look in her eyes, anything less was unacceptable.

~"~"~"~

Nanoha was glad when Alicia and Carim left to have a dinner date; she really wanted a little more Fate-time before their family forced them to _behave._ Smirking Nanoha watched as they left with Cia falling all over herself to be attentive it seemed she really was trying her best to wine and dine her fiancée so she didn't change her mind and run screaming. She wondered how that dynamic would change if Cia ever did get pregnant.

Nanoha was about to climb onto Fate's lap when their doorbell sounded making the auburn haired woman groan. Standing up Fate pressed a quick kiss to Nanoha's forehead and soothed quietly, "I'll do my best to speed our visitors on their way."

Too bad for Fate their visitor was Momoko and Miyuki Takamachi. The forceful duo pushed their way into the house and then took up places on either side of Nanoha on the couch. The pouty look the beleaguered woman gave her wife made Fate smile and lovingly take a seat on the ground at her feet. Anyone who knew _who_ Fate was but didn't _know_ Fate would have found the circumstances shocking.

To the elder Takamachi women it was barely blink worthy now, Fate had proved long ago she worshipped everything about Nanoha. If the sapphire eyed woman wanted her to shave her head and tattoo property of Nanoha Takamachi across it she wouldn't hesitate. This time last year no one had quite expected this result but the signs had been there. Fate had seemed strangely accommodating from the first day of their acquaintance.

The amused smile Miyuki gave her sister-in-law made the blonde raise an eyebrow. Letting her eyes dart from her sister then back to the blonde she then asked, "So Fate-chan how does it feel to be so completely whipped by the White Devil."

Unfortunately Miyuki picked the wrong moment to use the word whipped around Fate. The stiffening of her body and the startled gasp as the image of a tall purple hair figure loomed over her filled Fate's mind's eye. But instead of the pain of a stinging blow there came the gentle touch of her lover. "Shush now Fate-chan, it's okay. No one will ever hurt you again. You're safe now."

The image faded but Miyuki's words lingered. Frowning Fate asked, "Why in the world do you call Nanoha the White Devil? She's an angel, I can't imagine a person who deserves such an awful nickname less than her."

Miyuki found herself being glared at by matching angry sapphire eyes. It was at moments like this that Nanoha looked so much like their mother that it was hard to tell they were mother and daughter and not twins. Shifting uncomfortably in her seat Miyuki looked down into a pair of appraising burgundy eyes that seemed to be boring holes into her soul. _How the hell does Nanoha deal with being looked at by those eyes?!_

Shrugging a little Miyuki said, "Ah well it's an offshoot from mom's nickname, The Blue Eyed Devil or the Blue Demon. Nanoha looks and acts like mom so much that everyone called her the little devil. And with her always wearing lots of white and of course looking so innocent we just tweaked the nickname to the White Devil. Hayate heard us call her that one time and soon everyone in town knew the nickname."

Pressing her lips to Nanoha's stomach Fate addressed their unborn babies in Italian, "Non preoccupatevi dolci angeli miei, Fate-mama non permetterà a nessuno di fare il bullo con voi. Amo voi e il bell' angelo che è la vostra Nanoha-mama." [ _Don't worry my darling angels, Fate-mama won't let anyone bully you like that. I love you and your beautiful angel Nanoha-mama._ ]

Nanoha felt her anger and embarrassment melt away with Fate's loving gesture. Not really wanting to waste anymore time dealing with her sister and mother she asked neutrally, "What is it that you two needed anyway?"

Momoko snapped out of her sugar coma, induced by the sickly sweet nature of her daughter's relationship with her wife, to say, "Um how does July thirty-first sound for the baby shower? You should be back from your visit to France by then, right?"

Now Fate had a whole new reason to frown. When she promised to visit France at the wedding she hadn't expected Nanoha to be as far along as she was. With the babies due in early October or late September she had begun to worry about the safety of the trip. Going back and forth constantly about whether or not they were going. Both Nanoha and Carim had argued it was safe and a mini-vacation would be good for everyone.

Nanoha could see the concern and knew she had to stop Fate from spinning worst-case scenarios in her head, poking the tip of her wife's nose Nanoha said, "Stop it Fate-chan. We are going, the only way we weren't was if Arf's baby...um babies were delayed or if something went wrong with the delivery. Thankfully Arf and the twins are fine and healthy so there is no reason not to go. Though I might not spend as much time on the beach as I had originally imagined; I don't think anyone would want to see me in my swimsuit now."

Now there was a depressing thought for Fate. She couldn't understand why Nanoha thought she was fat and ugly. Her radiant angel was now glowing with life and was in her eyes the most gorgeous woman on the planet. The thought of Nanoha not wearing the bikini she purchased meant she was going to have to pull out the big guns to ensure she got her visual treat.

Shifting so she was now standing on her knees Fate lightly wrapped her arms around Nanoha and countered, "If Nanoha doesn't wear a swimsuit neither will I."

If there had ever been a reason to ensure this trip happened Nanoha knew it was the idea of seeing Fate in a swimsuit. She had taken Fate swimsuit shopping and that had lead to Nanoha losing her grip in the tiny changing room. In the end they had bought three different swimsuits and one especially was for Nanoha's eyes only. It might never see the light of day but it would most definitely get a lot of use.

Giving Fate her sweetest smile and best big eyed kitten look Nanoha went on the offensive, "Fate-chan, if you really want to see me in a swimsuit then we have to go on the trip. But that will have to wait until after Levi-chan's graduation. You promised her you'd be there."

Fate already knew she was going to give in but the awful feeling of foreboding didn't leave her, and the disquiet radiated from her eyes.

Petting Fate's cheek Nanoha said gently, "Love, we already have the tickets for the flight. And you have already bought tickets for the girls to go to Euro Disney, which the little sneaks know about. You don't want to disappoint them do you? Besides it's not like you to break your promises."

Sighing Fate asked, "Are you sure you're up to it? Flying can be very stressful and I don't want you or the babies hurt."

Leaning forward Nanoha kissed Fate's forehead and reassured her, "My love we have spoken to Carim-sensei and she agrees both the babies and I are strong enough to travel. I really want to spend more time in France with you," then whispering in Fate's ear, "I really like those soundproof rooms."

Swallowing hard at the thought of what Nanoha would likely do once they got back in one of those rooms Fate was tempted beyond belief to extend their time in France. But they had to return well before the end of July a number of reasons but the most important one to her was safety sake. The last thing Fate wanted was for Nanoha to get stuck in France until the girls were old enough to safely fly. Momoko would kill her if she missed out on the birth of her grandbabies and spoiling them from the moment they exited the womb.

Taking Nanoha's hand Fate let her finger brush over her wedding ring which always made her heart skip a beat as her mind screamed happily, _'Mine!'_

"Mio amore, we will go but for only three weeks like we planned, no trying to extend the trip. Just because school is out and we aren't working doesn't mean we don't have other obligations that need to be fulfilled here at home. Besides Carim was insistent that you stay close to home during your third trimester. She maybe going with us but that doesn't mean she has all her equipment with her if any goes wrong. And you will be on your best behavior, if you get too unruly I will bring you home immediately."

Pouting at the threat of cutting their holiday short Nanoha scooted closer to Fate to comfortably wrap her arms around Fate's neck and gently tug on a lock of hair, "Fate-chan is such a worry-wart. I already promised to behave myself. I won't even whine about not being able to get on the roller coasters with you. All I want from this trip is to spend as much time on the beach with you. The girls can do as they like as long as the gendarmerie nationale aren't dragging them home."

Seeing things between them were settled Momoko asked again, "So July 31st is okay for the Baby Shower?"

Rubbing Nanoha's tummy Fate smiled at her mother-in-law, "That sounds perfect. I'll get you a guest list before we leave on the trip."

Momoko patted Fate on the head and cooed at her, "You are such a thoughtful wife Fate-chan. I am so happy Nanoha has you to take care of her."

Turning to look her mother-in-law in the eyes Fate replied, "Mmhm believe me when I say she takes care of me more than I do her. I don't know what I'd do without her."

~"~"~"~

Arf was lying in her hospital bed holding her son and wondered how the obstetrician had missed the second baby that had been residing in her womb. While his BIG sister really did dwarf him, the red haired little boy was barely five pounds while his sister was seven pounds ounces, he was a squirmer. It was likely him she had felt moving around so much and not the girl who was now curled up quietly with her papa.

The wrinkled pair of infants looked so far removed from twins it was laughable. Her daughter had tuffs of shocking silver-white hair sticking up messily. While her baby boy's red hair was fine and laid flat to his head. It appeared both her children would be inheriting her father's bright green eyes which relieved her mind, there was something about blue eyed redheads (like herself) that left her feeling unnerved. Probably because a certain cousin of hers who was a complete creep and had unnervingly piercing light blue eyes that he used to undress her growing up.

Letting the tiny boy feed she watched her husband hold their daughter with his good arm against his chest with that endearing look of worry on his face. Poor Zafira, she knew he wasn't the most assertive of men when they met but his gruff exterior made up for it. Most of the time his grim expression intimidated people before he had to say a word. Too bad his family wasn't affected by his would-be grim stare or gravelly tone. His sisters and cousin all ran roughshod over him on a regular basis. It was too bad not even the birth of his two children was enough for him to stand up to that screeching horde.

Arf was still thankful for the nurses who had forcibly removed her in-laws from the room after the argument over baby names broke out again. Shamal wanted both children to be named according to Wolkenritter family tradition, purely German names. She didn't agree, she wanted to name her children with a mixed name, the first name Italian or even Japanese in origins and the middle name German in honor of the Wolkenritter tradition. She also wanted to choose soothing sounding names, Gudrun and Diedrich were both off the table no matter how much Shamal argued for them on the basis of they being traditional family names.

She wanted something sweet sounding for her daughter and something strong but uplifting for her son. Going through some baby name books she had found a few German names she loved; Ilsa or Kasimira for her daughter and Lanzo or Matthias for her son. While her late grandmother's name seemed appropriate for her daughter with her shimmering light colored locks, Perla. Or perhaps Gemma due to her emerald colored eyes which if they truly took after her father's would sparkle with humor and intelligence as she grew older. As for her son she had always loved the name Carmelo which seemed appropriate due to his dark red hair or maybe the Japanese name Kaede for the same reason.

Shifting her son to rest against her shoulder she rubbed his back gently to burp him and sooth him into sleep. The tiny fellow was going to have a hard enough life with all the domineering women in his life it was important for him to get all the nourishment and rest he could to grow strong. Calling out to her husband in a soft voice she finally voiced her concerns regarding naming their offspring.

"Zafira, mio caro we need to decide on names for these two. The nurses said we only have a short time left to decide. I really want your opinion on what to name them."

Sighing Zafira said in his rumbling voice, "I agree with you that it's our decision what we should name them but I honestly don't know what name is best. I've never even named a pet dog and this decision is a million times more important than something like that. What if we choose a name they hate or resent when they get older?"

Reaching out to her husband she patted his cheek and said, "Mio caro, if we don't decide soon your sister-in-law will decide for us and I know for a fact the children will resent any name she chooses."

Leaning into the gentle touch he closed his eyes to savor the loving gesture. While he had grown up in a female dominated household it wasn't one where he ever been pampered with excessive loving gestures. His elder sister was a reserved woman who had only ever felt comfortable sharing physical affection with her wife. His younger sister had attached herself to their young cousin since they were of a similar age and thus left him the odd man out. While a quick hug and kiss on the cheek wasn't exactly an anomaly they weren't as frequent as they were in say the Takamachi or even Testarossa household between the siblings.

Opening his eyes to see his wife looking at his with her bright blue eyes that seemed so full of life and joy he knew he'd have to finally stand up to his family. They all liked Arf but seemed to think it was alright to treat her like they treated him, like the family pet. It was time his sisters and cousin learned he wasn't some unruly dog they could put in a kennel if he misbehaved or failed to comply with their commands.

Swallowing his nerves he said, "I think we should name them…"

~"~"~"~

A/N2: Please vote on the names! I'll leave the poll open for about a week. Hopefully by then I'll also have the next chapter written. We will see, thanks for all the support.


	24. Chapter 24: What Ifs?

A/N: Sorry about the delay in updating. I hope to upload a new chapter at least once a month, if I can do two chapters a month I will try but life is so hectic right now. I promise I will never abandon my story and I am working on other stories when my muse for this story decides to desert me. I currently have about a dozen one shots in progress and a very long multi chapter story in the works. There will be more stories from me, I just don't know when they will be uploaded. Please continue to read and review as I need the feedback to feed my finicky muse. In the next chapter I think I will be setting up another poll for NanoFate baby names. If anyone wants to suggest names for the poll please feel free to drop me a line or put it in a review.

I'd like to thank Kuura and Ditto528 for beta reading this chapter and their feedback.

Disclaimer: I do not own MGLN, I make no profit from my stories.

~"~"~"~

'One more day, just one more day,' was the mantra pounding in Nanoha's head. She had finished her final exams, packed for the trip and made sure her parents had the spare key to the house so they could check up on everything while they were gone. Now she just had to get through one more day of waiting to board the plane that would take her and her loving family back to France.

The day had started off well, snuggled next to her darling wife who was gently playing with her hair and looking at her lovingly. The intensity of that love shone brightly in burgundy eyes and caused her raging libdo to kick off. Fate's innocent good morning kiss quickly turned into foreplay once Nanoha took the lead. It was incredibly thrilling to have Fate turn over her entire being over to her. Whatever she wanted Fate was always glad to give it.

Fate herself had woken that morning with more than a hint of trepidation in her heart. She had had a nightmare of a whole new variety during the night. She had been able to lock away most of the fear and disquiet it had brought on by watching her peacefully sleeping wife breathe. Playing with her soft smooth hair had calmed her like petting a purring cat and reminded her of that first night in Paris they shared together. Fate's internal mantra was, 'Concentrate on the happy times with Nanoha,' her guardian angel would never let anything bad happen. But what if…?

Breakfast after their invigorating morning exercise and shower had been filled with laughter and gentle caresses from her doting blonde wife which always brought a smile to Nanoha's face. Vivio and Einhart had spent the night before over at the Testarossa household but had shown up along with Alicia for the morning meal. Nanoha found it absolutely adorable to see Fate and Einhart in their aprons. Despite the difference in their coloring Nanoha could see so many similarities between them it didn't surprise her Vivio had fallen so hard for the girl.

There was a secret place in her heart that wished she had met Fate when she was Vivio's age or even younger. If she had she known Fate she never would have wasted her time with Yuuno. He never would have gotten a single date with her. All it would have taken was one glance into Fate's gorgeous eyes and she would have lost her heart. How many struggles would they have avoided if only…?

Seeing her wife fall into a contemplative look Fate waited until their family left for the day to ask what was wrong. When Nanoha admitted to her secret wish Fate could only laugh and shake her head.

Pressing a kiss to her temple Fate whispered lovingly, "Mio amore, I too wish we had met sooner but I wouldn't wish away Vivio or all the friends we've made by living separate lives up until now. We are together now and nothing will ever take me away from you."

Nanoha was struck by that idea and had to ask, "You don't harbor any resentment against having to take in Vivio. She isn't a burden to you, is she?"

Cupping her wife's soft cheek Fate answered, "How could I see her as a burden, she is just like you. Even if she has Scrya blood in her she isn't like her biological family, she is pure Takamachi. And you know I have a hard time resisting Takamachis."

Giggling her signature laugh at that Nanoha hugged her wife around her midriff and snuggled her face against her breasts. The feeling of Fate's arms snaking about her and her talented hands rubbing her back made her feel so loved. She remembered the funeral where Vivio's parents had been buried and the little girl had wandered off. She was scared and confused about what was going on. The Scryas had grumbled over having to search for the little girl and she was sure if certain parties had found her first the girl would have been spanked harshly.

Finding the little girl hiding in some bushes Nanoha hadn't been able to resist picking her up and holding her close to hum soothingly to her. Feeling her little arms grip her tightly had awoken all her latent maternal instincts and she knew she had to keep the child. And so began a battle of wills between herself and Noriko. Yuuno at first hadn't shown any interest in how the situation played out but once the child was part of their household Nanoha realized quickly what kind of man she had married.

Yuuno never loved his niece. He never seemed to regret the lost of his brother and sister-in-law that left the little blonde an orphan. He tolerated Vivio but never _wasted_ a minute paying her any real attention. He never sat with her to read a book or watch TV. Never tucked her into bed or made her a lunch for school. She might as well have been a boarder in their home for all the concern he showed her.

Reflecting on how Fate had treated Vivio since day one made the lack of care on Yuuno's side all the more stark. The gentleness she had shown as she guided her hand during that first painting lesson and the honest interest she showed in how she liked her new school wasn't something anyone would have expected from a stranger. Accepting her as a student and welcoming her instantly into her household whenever she happened to show up trailing Einhart just showed how different Fate's response to Vivio was to Yuuno's.

She knew she had been attracted physically to Fate from the first instant but it had been her subsequent actions that had lead to her falling head over heels in love. Seeing how good a parent Fate was to not only Einhart but to her students and then taking Vivio under her wing without a second of hesitation had been a big influence on her burgeoning feelings. She had sworn to herself she'd never again let herself be tied to a person who merely tolerated children. Whoever became her life partner this time around had to prove they would be a loving parent to her daughter and any future children she desperately wanted. Fate fulfilled that requisite and then some.

Not knowing why Nanoha felt tears come to her eyes and Fate instantly felt the moisture making her pull back worriedly, "Mio amore? What's the matter?"

Blinking back the tears Nanoha said with an uneven voice, "Ah I'm alright. It's my stupid hormones setting me off again. You make me so happy Fate-chan. When I compare my life from before to what I have with you it just makes it hard not to be thankful for you."

Scooping up her wife Fate carried her out of the kitchen and back to their bedroom. Nanoha was always amazed by the strength hidden in Fate's thin form. She often wondered how she could so easily pick her up as if she was a child. Especially since it was clear Alicia wasn't anywhere near as strong. She had never seen the woman pick up Carim or anyone else for that matter. Laying her lover down gently Fate could see more questions in those dazzling sapphire eyes so raised an eyebrow to invite her speak.

Blushing Nanoha asked, "How are you able to pick me up so easily Fate-chan? I'm not the lightest of women and now I am pregnant."

Sitting on the edge of the bed Fate sighed, "Mother's experiments on me did something weird to my metabolism. It's hard for me to gain weight and my muscle mass is much thinner but denser than normal. You know I love eating sweets but too much of them will make me sick, my body will reject all the sugar and fats. I say I have to watch how much I eat for my weight's sake but in reality that's just to cover up the fact that my body is so weird. The last thing I want is for you or anyone else to see me vomiting because I gorged on sweets. It would raise warning flags of an eating disorder which I most definitely don't have."

Nanoha reached out and touched Fate's forearm having to pull back the loose sleeve that covered her pale flesh. She saw the scars of course but it was the thinness of her arm that really caught her attention. How many times had she kissed the sensitive skin on the inside of her arm? Fate's hand opened and closed in a nervous gesture making the muscles of her arm flex. Nanoha could see how some of the scars neatly outlined the movement and decided not to ask about those experiments or how Precia tried to collect her data.

Closing her hand around Fate's wrist Nanoha said, "I remember the first day we met and seeing you with Alicia. I thought you looked like a stretched out version of her. Ah-ha you know I thought Alicia was pure trouble from the first but you, you intrigued me. I wanted to get to know you better the moment I looked into your eyes."

Fate had often wondered what it was that attracted Nanoha to her, how she had captured this beautiful woman's heart. Looking at the connection where Nanoha's hand gripped her Fate asked quietly, "Why?"

The strangely quiet air around Fate made it clear she wasn't fishing for compliments or a flirty answer. Giving her a soft squeeze Nanoha said, "I admit at first I was just physically attracted to you. Your behavior made it clear you weren't interested in anything more so I tried my best to respect that. But you also made it impossible for me not to fall in love with you."

Fine eyebrows twitched at this and Fate asked, "How could I have made you fall in love?"

Reaching over Nanoha traced the inside of Fate's palm as she spoke, "You are an amazing woman who is conscientious, kind, generous to a fault, patient, intelligent, highly talented, modest and when you look at me something about your eyes makes my insides melt."

Closing her hand to capture Nanoha's hand to pull it to her lips for a soft kiss Fate whispered, "I love you. I just wished there was some way for me to show you how deeply in love I am. I never want you to question my feelings. I honestly wouldn't survive if I lost you."

Pulling Fate down by their connected hands Nanoha kissed her wife ardently before speaking slightly breathlessly, "Fate-chan, I might be a paranoid hormone crazed woman at the moment but believe me I will never willingly leave you. Even if I think the worst I'd never flee the battlefield. If another woman has her sights on you she better be ready for me to go White Devil mode on her. No one touches my Fate-chan without repercussions."

Sliding a dexterous hand into her wife's loose knit pants then finding her prize Fate began to lightly tease her wife over her panties, "The same goes for me Nanoha, I will never willingly leave you. I might not have an appropriately evil sounding nickname but my possessiveness will ensure anyone messing with you will be punished soundly."

While she was most definitely enjoying her wife's touch Nanoha couldn't help teasing her verbally, "Um I think a good argument could be made for calling you the Black Angel when you're angry. Or maybe that should be Archangel since sinners are blasted to smithereens."

Slipping a finger into the damp panties Fate pulled them aside to tease her wife mercilessly, "Hmm one wouldn't think an angel and a devil would make a very good couple. Maybe I should reconsider this relationship, I wouldn't want to lose my wings."

Arching up into Fate's touch Nanoha meowed her pleasure as she set her body aflame, as her wife's words sunk in though she opened lust filled violet eyes to stare penetratingly at her. Pulling her back down to her for another heart stopping kiss Nanoha then asked, "Wouldn't I be worth losing your wings?"

Groaning Fate then felt Nanoha reach into her pants and push her fingers into her moist heat, "Oh mio amore, I would be willing to give up much more than that to be with you."

Together they began to move hands in a familiar rhythm which lead to their mutual demise. After a few moments to catch her breath and reorder her scrambled brain Fate pushed herself up to look down at her wife, "You do know I would damn myself to hell for you."

Cupping Fate's soft cheek Nanoha smiled sadly and replied, "Love, that would be the last thing I would want for you. I want to make you happy."

Kissing the hand on her face Fate smiled back but her eyes clearly showed the trepidation she'd been trying to hide all morning, "You do. So much it can be frightening. Surely there must now be an imbalance in the world now. I have always found it's when you're flying high that you also have the farthest to fall when reality sets in."

Worried about her wife's mental state and needing to remove any doubts or fears she might have Nanoha sat up then pushed her wife onto her back.

Looking down into her eyes she said with every ounce of determination she had, "I will never let you fall. This happiness we now share is our new reality. Nothing and no one will ever take it from us. You won't leave me and I won't leave you so anyone trying to separate us can go to hell. We have what we've always wanted and I will destroy anyone who threatens what we have."

Shifting her impassioned wife onto her lap Fate rubbed her stomach and lower back, finally she started to admit to something that had begun to bother her, "Mio amore, the closer you get to your due date the more frightened I seem to get. Ah… last night I had...no, I shouldn't even acknowledge it. Talking about will give it more sway over my mind."

Not liking this new hesitation Nanoha asked pleadingly, "Fate-chan, please tell me what's bothering you. If I don't know I can't help you."

Placing her hands on Nanoha's stomach to feel the fluttering feeling of their children wriggling Fate sighed, "It's stupid."

Poking Fate's nose Nanoha replied, "Remember what you said to me, it doesn't matter if it's stupid. If it hurts you then I want to know so I help you. Even if I there is nothing I can do to relieve the situation shared pain is at least half the burden it would otherwise be if you keep silent."

Unable to look Nanoha in the eyes Fate spoke, "I had this… nightmare… but it was more than that because it felt so real. It was almost like a premonition. In my dream I was at the hospital but I couldn't reach you. Everyone around me was crying and it was clear something horrible had happened. Mio amore what if something bad is going to happen when you go into labor? What if… what if you die? Or one or both the girls dies? How does one move on after something like that? If I lost you there'd be very little to live for except our children. I know I'd never be able to paint again and I'd never be able to find another lover. It doesn't matter how much I enjoy sex now, if it's not with you then I'd rather not do it. I can't picture sharing myself with anyone else. I swear I will do all I can to be a good mother but I don't think I'd survive much longer than them reaching adulthood. Just the thought of living eighteen years without you makes something inside me shrivel and ache."

Listening to Fate ramble Nanoha knew her wife was really freaking out inside so leaned forward as best as she could to take Fate's face in her hands, "My love, I can't promise not to die. No one can make such a promise. What I can promise you is if it ever comes down to me having to fight in order to stay with you I will. I will not leave you without a struggle."

Pulling Nanoha over so they could lay on their sides Fate then snuggled her in tightly, one leg comfortably lodged between Nanoha's. The blonde woman couldn't speak at the moment so fearful of the future. Her new life seemed so much like a dream that she was sure it would all end the next time she opened her eyes. Just like the night before their wedding when she so desperately needed Nanoha's presence she clung to her needfully.

Petting soft blonde hair Nanoha whispered soothingly, "It's okay love, you deserve to be happy. There is no imbalance in the world you will be forced to pay for. Surely you are owed this happiness and more for everything you've suffered. Just let me love you and protect you."

Fate swallowed a sob, how had things changed for her so fast and so profoundly? The question that had of late boggled her mind was, 'Where had Nanoha come from?' How could she deserve such happiness with this wonderful woman? To reach this point, with Nanoha as her wife and their babies so close to being born she was truly beginning to worry about her fitness to be in their lives. Those little innocent babes deserved normal parents, not a scarred and emotionally wrecked monster. They should never be exposed to the knowledge that things such as what was done to her were possible.

Yet she knew what Nanoha would say if she spoke these worries, that she was worthy and would make a good mother. She knew on every level of her being Nanoha would never rejected her so the evil little voice in her mind was now grasping for some new horror to torment her with. Last night her twisted psyche had finally found a chink in her Nanoha armor. It didn't matter if Nanoha never rejected her if she died. Her death would leave Fate in a despair so deep she would never recover. Death would be worst than rejection, to see Nanoha struck down, to know her bright smile would never again be bestowed on her loved ones would be soul destroying.

The gentle hand that stroked her lovingly brought Fate closer to tears. Too many new emotions had been awakened in her for her to maintain the even keel she was known for. Each new experience and happiness pushing her closer to the edge. Fate was now beginning to understand more intimately what had driven Nanoha's near breakdown before their wedding. Nanoha's fears had her picturing Fate growing bored or annoyed with her. Fate had now discovered her own deepest fear was the death of her beloved, to lose her forever to eternity.

The sobs now coming from Fate as she clung tight to Nanoha began to really frighten the auburn haired woman. Fate was normally such an emotionally stable woman so when she went off kilter it usually meant something really bad. There was very little middle ground for Fate, she was either in complete control or a complete mess. Realizing her words were having the opposite effect Nanoha stopped speaking but continued her petting. The ragged sobs finally tailored off after a few minutes when Fate fell into a fitful sleep.

Looking her wife over as she slept she noted the stress lines around her eyes and mouth had deepened again. Even in sleep she failed to completely relax and that really worried Nanoha, Fate was slowly but surely working herself into a state of anxiety. Touching her stomach and feeling the flutters of life she wondered if she was going to regret this selfishness. What would she do if Fate ended up hurting herself or worst was pushed over the edge and committed suicide. The fact that a nine year old Fate had once contemplated that option terrified Nanoha and had made her want to clutch the blonde to her to ensure her continued life and happiness. What if Fate had given up during those dark first years after? The ache in her very soul at the idea of never meeting and loving this woman brought tears to her eyes. This was her Fate.

Slipping out of bed carefully Nanoha grabbed her cell phone and went to her office, the chirpy, "Hello," she received seemed to highlight how different the sisters' current mental states were.

Swallowing the lump in her throat Nanoha croaked out, "Cia-nee, I am worried about Fate-chan."

The elder blonde immediately went serious and asked, "I thought she seemed a little off this morning what's going on?"

Frowning Nanoha realized she had missed the signs this morning in her greedy neediness, guilty sadness filled her, "She is freaking out over either me or one or both the babies dying. I don't know what to do to reassure her."

Across town Alicia sat down and covered her eyes as she spoke, "You won't really be able to Nanoha-chan. People die and other than myself Fate has never allowed herself to open up to anyone as deeply as she has with you. She loves a lot of people but losing either of us could be devastating for her. She went through something like this with me when we were kids and it took years for her to finally get a handle on it. She hated it when I left her sight so get ready to be on a short leash for the foreseeable future. Your kids will likely be delayed in learning to walk since she'll have them strapped to her body at all times. You were able to lessen her 'rawr mode' for a while but it's back now with a vengeance."

Hearing this assessment actually relieved Nanoha's mind a little, if time and her presence was all that was needed then she could live with that. If Fate needed her presence to reassure her mind then it would take the Jaws of Life to pry her from Fate's side. Ending the call with her sister-in-law Nanoha returned to the bedroom and the sight of a fitfully sleeping Fate clutching at the bed searching for her was heartbreaking. There was something desperate about the furrows on her brow as she kept coming up empty.

Sliding into bed she pulled the blonde to her and had to laugh at the limpet like nature of the grasp. Playing with long blonde hair Nanoha considered her position. Spending the next few… years?... reassuring this gorgeous woman by staying by her side. Modulating her behavior a tiny bit to reduce her more outlandish (reckless) behavior thereby reducing her risks. There wasn't much she did that was all that horrible compared to the speed demon currently curled into her. Suddenly her own grasp tightened. What if the reason Fate hadn't been able to reach her was because _Fate_ had died. Only death would be able to keep them from each other so if Fate couldn't reach her it might be because she no longer had a body to do so.

Fear caused bile to churn in her stomach hotly and left a bitter taste at the back of her throat. She understood Fate's fears and her raging hormones were now demanding Fate stay within her eyesight at all times. If anything or anyone tried to hurt the blonde they'd find themselves being ripped to shreds by a raging pregnant woman. Of course that might just be an exercise of waste disposal as Fate had already promised to destroy anything/one that tried to come between them.

Shifting into a more comfortable position Nanoha pulled at her Fate-blanket that instantly conformed to her body. Warm and feeling secure she let herself fall into a restful nap. When they woke next Nanoha had plans on how to relieve a few of Fate's nerves. Her sweet wife was going to find out obsessive concern was a two-way street in this relationship.

~"~"~"~

The silver haired man dozing on the couch with a tiny bundle snuggled against his chest was one of the sweetest sights Arf had ever seen. She thought of all the trouble she had brought into his life and had to wonder if her husband wasn't a bit of a masochist. Considering the people in his family it was probably conditioning but she really hoped she wasn't as bad as they were when it came to pushing him around. Had she railroaded this sweet quiet man into an abusive relationship?

Sitting down across from him she felt a twinge of guilt for the broken arm but had to smile at the doodles already scrolled across it. She shook her head at the memory of him coming in with an embarrassed smile and the cast after the delivery. He naturally had a low pain threshold, and his family hadn't been able to help raise it. The younger ones had tried, evil little monkeys.

Sighing she contemplated their past. The first time she laid eyes on him was at a library for a tutoring session. She was just about ready to give up on learning Japanese and he was her last hope. Seeing the muscular young man walk up to her she began to wonder if him being there was a prank or maybe he was there to tell her off on behalf of the tutoring agency. She could see her friends setting her up with a fake tutor who was in reality a stripper. They were beginning to fear for her lack of a personal life. How long had it been since she had last gone on a date? Then again she was such a spazz as any number of people would point out that men rarely wanted to see her again after their first date.

The polite bow of his head when he came before her left her boggled. He was the last ditch, last hope tutor for the agency. Most clients took one look at him and walked out not even allowing him to speak, the complaint that a muscle bound meathead couldn't possibly be a good teacher. Fools and assholes in Arf's book, but he didn't really seem to care one way or the other. She was glad he wasn't quick to judge her, she must have looked like a lovestruck schoolgirl.

He carried a workbook under his arm and some kind of magazine curled up in his hand. When he spoke in that deep gravelly voice of his her insides had shivered and she had felt her hormones spike. It was like she had suddenly gone into heat and she wanted to throw herself at the man. Restraining herself she listened carefully to what he had to say trying not to edge closer to breathe in the scent of his aftershave. He was clearly very intelligent and organized as he flipped through an outline on how he would be teaching her the fundamentals of Japanese.

For the first the few weeks she found herself enthralled by his voice, it wasn't so much commanding as it was compelling. When he asked her to repeat phrases she did her best and prayed she'd be blessed with one of his smiles. Oh god that sight still made her heart skip a beat, he was such an undemonstrative man who rarely showed any emotion so when he smiled it transformed him from gruffly attractive to irresistible.

As the lessons progressed they also spoke about themselves and she found everything about him interesting. He had a self-depreciating sense of humor and infinite patience which at the time saved them both from humiliation as they worked their way from teacher/student to friends then to lovers. Kissing him had been an experience for the record books, and she had to be thankful he was such a gentleman or they might have ended up screwing on the carpet of her living room. Definitely not the way she wanted _that_ to happen.

Their courtship hadn't been all that long but it had been intense, as were all things involving her. Their marriage had been a small affair with her parents in attendance and only his sister there to represent his side of the family. She had liked the guff woman who while they looked nothing alike except for maybe their intensely penetrating blue eyes shared the same cast iron sense of duty and honor. It seemed both siblings liked their women pushy and domineering, watching the way Shamal pushed Signum around was really amusing.

Watching him unconsciously shift to give the wriggling baby on his chest a more comfortable position made her smile and get up to pick up the soon to be fussing redheaded boy. Picking up little Kaede Lanzo Wolkenritter made her smile widen. Her husband sure did know when and where to pick his battles. He also knew how to use diversions to his best advantage. Why in the world should Shamal and Signum be so concerned with what they named their children when very soon they could have their own to name. _Yes and traumatize with those horrific old family names._

She should feel slightly guilty about the fact that her husband had thrown Carim at them as a sacrificial lamb to divert their attention. But the woman's success with Fate and Nanoha wasn't exactly secret and Signum really was in great health for a woman of her age. There was no reason why the long married couple couldn't have one or two little sprogs running around within the next year or so. That and if they had their own children to torment maybe they'd leave theirs alone to be raised as she and Zafira saw fit. Wolkenritter traditions were all well and good but some of them were well past their sell by date.

Leaving her dozing husband on the couch she took their son back to the nursery to nurse him then settle him next to his big sister. The baby girl was settled quietly in their crib but refused to sleep until her brother was returned to her. It was clear little Kasimira Ilsa Wolkenritter was going to be clingy when it came to her twin brother. She just prayed by the time they became teens the little girl will have loosen her grip on her brother.

She had just finished feeding the tiny boy and couldn't help smiling at the way the twins gripped at one another then finally fell into a restful sleep. She was just thinking they were going to be worst than the one set of twins she knew growing up when she felt an arm wrap around her gently. Leaning back into a wall of muscle she relaxed into the hold. The feeling of warm lips pressing into her neck made a shiver go down her neck and a feeling of regret well up in her since it was going to be a while yet before they could have _relations._

Sighing she pulled away and teasingly admonished him, "You are so mean Zafira, teasing your poor wife like that."

Soulful blue eyes looked at her miserably, "I'm sorry. I just miss holding you."

Immediately she was back in his arms and hugging him tightly, "Oh why do you have to be so cute. You know I was just teasing you mio caro."

Hiding his smile in her hair Zafira savored the feeling of his wife in his arms. She still had a lot of healing to do from the birth of their children and it frightened him that he might hurt her. But of all the intimate things they did he had to admit he loved her hugs the most. Their sex life was awesome but you couldn't get away with doing that in public. Her exuberant hugs could be shared anywhere and anytime and always made him feel loved. He had a definite addiction to them and losing their normal cuddling time in bed because of her soreness was making him feel lonely. A little subterfuge to get a few extra hugs to tide him over couldn't be considered a bad thing.

When he felt her nip his shoulder he gave a little yipping noise and pulled back surprised, the look of amused annoyance made it clear he hadn't been as slick as he thought he had been. Giving her his best puppy eyes he tried to placate her without admitting to anything.

The puppy eyes made Arf start to laugh and reaching out to poke her husband's stomach she said, "You are so bad. You better be thankful I love you. Tricking me like that just so you can cop a feel."

Shaking his head he said, "I wasn't trying to cop a feel, I just wanted to hold you. I am scared of hurting you when we sleep so I just wanted a few extra hugs to make up for the lack of…" he trailed off now turning a bright red.

Laughing at his adorable blush Arf hugged him again and loved the feeling of him engulfing her in his strong grip. Snuggling into his warmth she mumbled, "I missed this too."

Careful of his broken arm and her soreness he picked her up and carried her back to the living room to settle on the couch again. Sitting down he held her on his lap and smiled happily when she squirmed a bit to find a comfortable position. They sat there in a small cocoon of happiness for a while, not talking or really thinking of anything but the wonderful feeling of finally being alone together again.

Arf was thankful for all the help her in-laws were providing but really wished they be a bit more considerate like Fate and Nanoha. Nanoha loved the babies and could easily become a little obsessed with them but Fate kept her firmly in line telling her to release the little ones back to their proper _owners_ before dragging her home at a decent hour. Fate was both excited by the prospect of being the little ones' godmother and terrified by the insane wriggler that was Kaede Wolkenritter. Pointing out the boy was going to be more trouble than his mother at this rate.

Laughing a little she remembered her childhood with the blonde twins who had made her early life so remarkable. Little Alicia had the curiosity of a cat and seemed to have as many lives considering all the near misses to disaster the girl had avoided by the skin of her teeth. Fate had been nearly as curious but much more cautious in how she went about exploring things. Studying things with an attention scary for a small child, even then people spoke of her having an old soul. She wondered how well her twins would get along with the coming _Takamachi_ twins. The idea of any child carrying Fate's genes not being a Testarossa was strange but considering who her wife was very understandable.

The reverberating hum from her husband meant he wanted in on the joke so she shifted a little before speaking, "I was just thinking of all the trouble Alicia, Fate and I got into when we were little. It makes me wonder which set of twins are going to be the _bad_ influence."

The deep rumbling laugh her husband emitted felt nice and made her cock an eyebrow at him, smiling with mirth he said, "Those Takamachi twins are going to holy terrors. If they are even half as prone to getting into trouble as Nanoha was growing up then our babies are in for a world of misadventures and insanity. I don't know Fate well but I can hope her calming influence will prevent the little demons from plotting world domination with our children as their lieutenants."

Giggling at this thought Arf replied, "Oh Fate only looks cute and innocent, she was never caught getting up to no good but that was because Alicia was always doing something more outlandish and distracted people from what she was doing. If the twins inherit her sneakiness we are going to be in so much trouble."

Kissing her temple he asked, "What kind of things did you all get up to as children? You were so young I can't imagine anything too horrible being done."

Laughing Arf said, "Picture three small girls, a bucket of paint nearly bigger than themselves but somehow they were able to shift it by working together and a very rude man being tripped head first into it. Fate provided the paint by picking the lock to her father's workroom. The girl has the craftiest fingers, would have made a great burglar or thief. Alicia antagonized the man into chasing after her and well I helped camouflage the hole we dug to trip him up. We, Fate and I, were never one hundred percent determined to be part of the set up, no evidence. But everyone knew Alicia couldn't have done it on her own. The idea of three little girls pulling a fast one on an adult made people watch us a whole lot closer after that."

Shaking his head he said, "I wonder if it's too late to move overseas and prevent the corruption of our children by those little demons."

Kissing his cheek Arf said, "I wouldn't deny our babies the chance to find the very best friends they could ever have. Both Nanoha and Fate are such loving and friendly people, I can't imagine their daughters being any different. Besides they are my children too, with my genes they already have the predisposition to getting into trouble. At least with Alicia and Fate around I always had an alibi to keep me from getting caught. Hopefully these new twins will be just as crafty and smart, it will help make our children smarter. I wouldn't have made it through the academy if I hadn't learned so many tricks from them as a child. Misdirection and prevarication are great tools."

"Uh-ha, I wondered where you learned that stuff, considering the stories I've heard of Fate since we moved here that doesn't surprise me,"

Grinning she said, "Oh as a child she could have people wrapped around her little finger with those eyes of hers while Alicia and I were raiding the cookie jar. If we ever needed stealth then we went to her, I never mastered that art but she could melt into shadows. She always knew what the older kids were getting up to and we could hold stuff over them for ice cream. She was a real menace but no one ever knew if it was her or Alicia. She could, when she really wanted to, move and talk just like her. She said it was exhausting being like her sister though, that Alicia was like a hummingbird always flitting around."

Rubbing his wife's back Zafira asked, "If Alicia is a hummingbird what does that make Fate?"

"That's easy, a lightning bug or um I think people sometimes call them fireflies too. Small little creatures that glow in the dark. They live near clear streams and are just so dazzling at night, do you know what I mean?" she asked her husband.

Thinking about the woman who was Fate Takamachi and the stories he had heard he could understand how she could be describes as a firefly. Her light might have been dimmed by the tragedy that struck her but it was now bright and strong again. She followed the clear stream that reflected her light back to her in the form of her ever moving and revitalizing wife. It was clear she had entranced a woman with that light that he had never thought anyone would be able to fully capture. No one had ever seemed to match up to Nanoha until he saw the pair together.

"Hmm, so what does that make Nanoha?" he asked as he rubbed his face in his wife's clean smelling hair.

Smirking she replied, "Probably a cat, we had one growing up and she always loved chasing lightning bugs. She'd never eat them but try and catch them and then let them fly away again. I can see Nanoha being that kind of cat. She's caught her but would never hurt Fate in a million years."

Snickering a little he said, "Oh I don't know about that, have you seen the way she looks at Fate sometimes, her eyes seem to say 'lunchtime.'"

Smacking her husband softly on the chest Arf laughed, "I don't think Fate's in any danger, you should know that look doesn't mean anything bad. Quite the contrary, after all it was that look that lead to those two little ones being born. Do you regret it?"

Hugging her a little tighter he said in his gravelly voice that was making wish for healing magic, "Never, I'd let you break every bone in my body if that's what it takes."

Snorting she teased him, "Not that big a sacrifice mio caro, you'd pass out after the first break and never notice the rest."

Growling he tickled her with his good hand until the sound of whimpering cries let them know it was feeding time at their little zoo once again.

~"~"~"~

Elsewhere in the city

Carim Gracia was ready to pull her hair out. She looked at the blonde woman who had been her mentor for years and couldn't understand how she hadn't realized she wasn't insane before today. The woman's poor wife was sitting beside her like a cowed puppy, not a good look on the statuesque pink haired woman.

The refined and cultured voice of Shaman Wolkenritter sounded calm and reasonable but her request bordered on madness, "Carim dear, I don't understand your hesitation. Both myself and Signum are perfectly healthy. We have the financial stability to raise a horde of children comfortably. What is your concern?"

Rubbing her eyes wearily Carim answered, "We have yet to see how Nanoha does with her labor or the full extent of her babies' health. I would prefer to wait a while longer before starting a new test case."

' _That and I'd like a little time to plan my wedding without you breathing down my neck_ ,' she thought morosely.

Snorting at this feeble excuse Shamal took another tact, "Look we both know you don't have a lot of time to plan your wedding and don't have the time to spare to handle the tedious part of this process. I am just suggesting you let your new assistant handle this bit while you're on your vacation/honeymoon. I trust Strosek to handle this, she has plenty of experience with extractions and monitoring patients on these drugs. Let her handle the boring bits and when you get back you can jump straight into the technical fun bits."

Carim stared at her friend, it was a good argument and if she let her assistant handle the first part of the process she wouldn't have to deal with a hormonal Shamal Wolkenritter. A definite bonus in her book. Chewing on her lip for a moment Carim finally came to a decision and then reached over to buzz in her new assistant.

The tall young woman with light brown hair and aquamarine colored eyes had an air of quiet and serenity around her when she entered the room. She was very familiar with Shamal Wolkenritter having studied under the woman and knew her foibles well. Nodding politely to the room she stood silent amongst a group of women who normally could be so domineering as to be unsettling a person into nervous jabbering. The two doctors present were familiar with her ways and decided to forego the pleasantries and get straight to the heart of the matter.

Within a few short minutes Shamal had her supply of hormones and her follow up appointments scheduled. Signum looked less than pleased with the streamlined nature of the whole thing, but the three women had worked with each other a number of times and now she was to be their newest guinea pig. She looked at her own supply of hormone pills with distrust but wasn't about to voice her dismay over the situation. Her wife, the woman she loved with all her being, wanted a baby and it was now within her power to give her one. She wasn't about to rock the boat and question all this science mumbo-jumbo, all that mattered was the end results.

Agreeing all was settled Carim was finally allowed to escape her office where she had just planned to complete some final paperwork before the family trip. She would have three weeks to finish planning the wedding which would take place at the Testarossa Luxemburg manor house. Most of the big things had already been handled thanks to Fate's remarkable organizational skills. She merely needed to tell her future sister in law what she wanted and the woman seemed to have a contact who could provide the good or service. Alicia was being less useful but the blitzed out happy grin she'd been sporting for the past few weeks since their engagement more than made up for it. To know her goofy incompetence was down to her being too excited and happy to think straight made Carim want to hug the stuffing out of her.

Picking up her purse and saying her goodbyes to her growing staff Carim made her way _home_. The house where the sisters formerly resided together had slowly transformed into her home, it was where her heart resided. Picturing the tall blonde with ruby red eyes full of mischief she felt her stride to her car lengthen. Maybe there might be time for some _quality time_ before they met up with the rest of the family for dinner at Midori-ya Cafe. Many might not understand her fascination with Alicia when her sister was around but Fate could never make her as happy as her elder sister. She doubted Fate would even be interested in trying even if Nanoha had never come into her life; there was no chemistry or attraction between them. It was strange to feel overwhelming desire for Alicia then turned to her twin and feel nothing but platonic friendship. At least she knew she wasn't alone in that feeling, Nanoha had admitted to being confused by the wide gap in her feelings for the twins.

Seeing the large home come into view Carim slowed to pull into the driveway, she was home.


	25. Chapter 25: Decisions

A/N: Hi guys, sorry on the delay on uploading but I have been busy with life and a few other stories have been distracting me. I will upload two new one shots tonight after I give them a final look over for typos. One is Futa and the other is AU and I hope for your continued support and feedback on how my writing can be improved and if what I am doing is enjoyable. I write for fun and post in the hopes of making at least one other person's day just a little brighter. Much love to all who read my work!

Disclaimer: I do not own MGLN or any of its characters. I make no profit from my writing.

~"~"~"~"~

Chapter 25: Decisions

It was to the sound of giggling that Fate and Nanoha awoke, opening a blurry eye Fate squinted at the bedside clock and saw it was now lunch time. Looking down on the smaller figure snuggled into her Fate noted the fierceness of the hold she was being held in. Raising an eyebrow Fate seemed to ask, 'Are you going to let go so I can make lunch?'

Touching Fate's face Nanoha traced her eyes which still carried the strain of her earlier break down as she asked, "Fate-chan, talk to me. Tell me what you need to feel better about the situation. What can I do?"

Burgundy eyes took in the loving concern in her lover's eyes and she as always was surprised it was there for her. Brows furrowing Fate looked down and began to chew on her lip as she tried to organize her mind.

Finally she said, "There isn't much you can do Nanoha, I am being an idiot. I can't help the way I am feeling because I have this deep seated fear that I am destined to lose everything precious to me. Mother pounded that into my head, if I survived I would always be alone because something like me doesn't deserve to be happy."

Pressing her fingers to Fate's lips Nanoha said, "You are not a thing Fate-chan. You are my most precious person. You are the woman I love. You deserve to be happy, you make me so happy just by being by my side."

Replacing her fingers with her lips before pulling back Nanoha said lovingly, "I am just as scared of losing you as you are of losing me love. For the first time in my life I am truly happy. I have everything I have ever dreamed of having and the thought of losing you makes it hard to breathe. You are so special Fate-chan, I wished for someone like you but never thought you could exist."

Cupping Nanoha's face Fate asked earnestly, "Why in the world would you want someone like me?"

Pushing Fate over onto her back Nanoha began to undo her wife's shirt exposing pale flesh and the pinkish scars that laced her body. Tracing her hand along the long surgical scar on Fate's abdomen she then tried to explain, "I have always wanted someone who could love me like I am someone special."

Squeezing Nanoha's hips Fate interrupted, "You are special. A person would have to be blind to not see that."

Smiling but shushing her wife Nanoha went on, "My dream lover would be someone beautiful inside and out. A person whose beauty would capture my attention from the first moment we met. This person would be considerate and make an effort to make me comfortable. They would willingly incorporate me into their life and never be ashamed of being seen with me. They would share my interests and someone I could have meaningful conversations with. Someone I could turn to when I was in trouble or scared and I could trust them to protect and sooth me. A person who could make me not only feel beautiful but believe I am someone worth loving. Fate-chan you can have no idea how fully you fulfill my secret hopes and desires."

Taking one of Fate's hands she placed it on her tummy and continued speaking, "Before our wedding I was freaking out over you finally coming to the realization that I am not worth your time or attention…"

Nanoha had to pause in her speaking when Fate's hand on her hip tightened and the look in her burgundy eyes became disapproving. Squeezing the hand pressed to her stomach Nanoha tried to sooth her wife.

"I know you will never tire of me love. I can't understand how you can be so addicted to me but I won't complain about it. Now you are freaking out over me dying and like you said, there is nothing either of can do to prevent death from coming for us eventually. What I can promise is I won't take any unnecessary risks. Remember love I want to grow old with you and see our girls grow up and find their own partners and be there for their weddings. I want you by my side as I hold our grandchildren and spoil them rotten. No one but you will do. You are my everything," Nanoha said this with a distant look in her eyes as if she was picturing this elusive future.

Then pinning Fate with a serious stare Nanoha demanded, "That's why I want you to promise me you will do the same. I want you to promise me you won't do anything to put yourself at risk. You can not die on me Fate-chan. I refuse to be a widow again. Losing Yuuno didn't hurt me because he destroyed what little love I had for him from our childhood with his treatment of Vivio and I over the years."

Then the look in Nanoha's eyes became desperate and scared as her voice became more urgent, "Your treatment of us is the polar opposite, you love us and cherish us. You can have no idea how devastating it would be to both of us to lose you. Please Fate-chan promise me you'll be more careful. I need you."

The feeling of Nanoha's hands gripping her so desperately as if she could somehow prevent disaster by holding on tightly shook Fate out of her grey funk. The idea of Nanoha being afraid of losing her and demanding her promise to stay safe had surprised her. Then she remembered, 'Nanoha loves me just as much as I love her. She has suffered loneliness and neglect. She has been betrayed and abandoned, the same scars I carry on my heart mark hers.'

Then the further realization hit her, the paralyzing fear that was gripping her was likely taking hold in Nanoha. This was not what she wanted for her wife. She wanted them both to support each other and share their lives like any other normal couple. Nanoha picking up her obsessive behavior was a sign that Fate needed to take action to save them from falling into destructive behavior. For years she couldn't even let Alicia out of her sight without falling into a panic attack. She had no wish to return to that state with Nanoha or worst have Nanoha suffer from such a state.

Her wife deserved to live a fulfilling life and their children shouldn't be exposed to obsessive behavior. What would that do to their developing minds to see them clinging to each other and freaking out at the least provocation? It looked like it was time for her to return to counseling and for Nanoha to join her. They both needed help negotiating these murky waters before someone was hurt.

Worried about the healthiness of their relationship Fate asked, "Nanoha, is it wise for us to be so… obsessed with each other? When we started this I thought I had a handle on my feelings for you. They were strange and wonderful and I wanted… I want to experience everything a real _healthy_ relationship entails. The last thing I want is for either of us is to become paranoid. That would be the worst thing for our children to see. I think we need to see a therapist about our fears. I probably should have started seeing one again after we started dating."

Now it was Nanoha's turn to be surprised, "Do...do you really think we need therapy Fate-chan? Do you really think we're obsessed with each other. I thought we were behaving in a normal manner."

Not wanting to worry her wife Fate soothed her, "Nanoha, I'm not say we are completely obsessed with each other. I think we have both gotten caught up in our feelings and with our past trauma we have let ourselves get too wrapped up in each other. I was honestly scared this was going to happen from the start. You are such an amazing person that I could easily spend my every waking hour worshiping everything about you. But you have dreams and ambitions which preclude me being with you twenty-four/seven. I don't want to grow paranoid to the point where I can't let you out of my sight without a panic attack. And I definitely don't want you feeling that way either."

Frowning at this explanation Nanoha said defiantly, "I'm not crazy Fate. I really love you, this isn't me just being obsessive."

Amused more than annoyed by Nanoha's misunderstanding Fate sat up and pulled her wife against her which made the auburn haired woman gasp. Bending her head she began kissing Nanoha's neck as she undid her bra. Sliding a hand between them Fate toyed with a plump nipple making Nanoha squirm on her lap.

Speaking directly into Nanoha's ear Fate spoke in a sultry tone, "I know you love me. I haven't a single doubt about that mio amore. I just want us to maintain a healthy relationship, one where we can each live fulfilling lives without fear or paranoia."

Clinging to her wife Nanoha admitted a fear that immediately popped into her head the second Fate suggested therapy, "What if they tell us we shouldn't be together? That we could never have a healthy relationship and this whole thing will end in disaster."

Pulling Nanoha away so they could look eye to eye Fate answered in an unequivocal tone, "Then I would say that therapist has no clue what they're talking about and will seek a second, third or a hundred more opinions. If the only future we have before us will end in disaster then I will willingly accept disaster. To be your wife and to be allowed to love you is worth any cost, even my sanity. I would rather love you and go crazy then live a long rational life without you."

Tears rolled down Nanoha's cheeks as she listened to her wife speak, shaking her head she said, "I couldn't do that to you Fate-chan. I could never hurt you like that."

Kissing her wife Fate soothed her, "And that is why I truly believe we will be okay. The therapist I used to see when we lived in France is still practicing. He will be the first to agree that our relationship does more good than bad for me."

Seeing Nanoha's disbelieving face Fate pressed her forehead to Nanoha's as she explained further, "The fact that I have been able to open up to others is thanks to you. I can laugh easily and speak more confidently because of you. I don't have to hide behind my artwork anymore. I am finally living again, you are the color that makes my world so bright and wonderful."

The fat tears that rolled down Nanoha's cheeks made Fate's heart ache, trying further to sooth she began to kiss the tears away as she spoke, "Before you if I wanted to enjoy colors I had to blend them myself but no matter how bright and cheerful they might seem to others there was always a dull sheen to them for me. You are the perfect Northern Light every artist longs for, highlighting and making everything more beautiful with your presence. Maybe if you were just a little bit less wonderful I wouldn't be so terrified of losing you. I wouldn't be feeling like the very foundations of my world were shaking at the mere thought of losing you."

Heart quivering from all the attention and fear Nanoha grasped at her wife tightly, "I don't want to lose you."

Squeezing her most precious person in the world tenderly Fate promised, "You never will mio amore. Even in death I swear I will keep loving you, and if there is such a thing as reincarnation you better believe I will search until I find you again. One lifetime of loving you isn't enough."

Then deciding anymore talk would be counterproductive Fate made love to her wife pouring all the love and devotion she could into each kiss and touch. For now her own mental state would find itself more stable by sheer force of will. Nanoha's rocky state demanded Fate step up, so without even thinking about what she was doing Fate pressed all her own fears and paranoias aside all so she could comfort her wife. Not once in Fate emotionally distraught past had she ever been able to see beyond her own pain and fear to recognize another's when in a panicked state. As Fate had pointed out to her wife things were very different now, she now had a reason to grasp onto sanity and to engage the real world.

The pleasured moans and the taste of her wife were the anchors for her sanity. With someone so sweet and enticing as her lighthouse in the mucky black of her paranoia Fate knew she would be alright. And if Nanoha needed her to provide the same stability then she would, there will never come a time where she will fail her wife.

~"~"~"~

The flight to France was unremarkable and the drive back to the Retreat was calm and sedate. Their arrival was noisy and boisterous with the three Starks sisters greeting the returning family with hugs and kisses. Stern was awed by the fact that Nanoha was now carrying Fate's babies, the very concept was beyond her imagination. Even if presented with the offer she never would have it taken up. Taking care of the fragile and shy Fate of her childhood would have been strenuous enough without adding children to the mix.

Once safely ensconced in their room Fate called her former therapist and made an appointment. The man was surprised that Fate was calling and upon learning of her situation made an opening for his former patient for the next day. The fact the artist was now married and her wife was expecting twins meant a full evaluation was needed. The Fate Testarossa he knew wouldn't be able to deal with this kind of stress without serious repercussions to her psyche.

Nanoha was conflicted over the situation, she wanted Fate to happy and calm but if this man decided she was unhealthy for Fate that would mean she would have to give Fate up. It wouldn't matter if Fate wanted to continue the relationship, she would never willingly or knowingly hurt Fate. The idea of going back to her life as it was before Fate came into it made her feel ill.

The pair's quiet mood was shrugged off by the rest of the family as jet lag, especially as Fate took the opportunity to excuse them early to go to bed. Fate began to strip for her shower and Nanoha watched her with eyes full of longing. Turning to look at her wife Fate saw the hunger and came over to her to pull her into her arms for a loving kiss. The fact the blonde was only wearing her panties made Nanoha's hormones go haywire.

The feeling of soft hands pulling at her clothing made Nanoha moan into the kiss before she pulled away. Unsure if she should even be enjoying this Nanoha pulled away as she worried her bottom lip between her teeth. Seeing this abuse Fate caught her lips again and soothed the abused flesh with her tongue making Nanoha groan. The soft ache from her bruised lip and the incredible way Fate moved her tongue was making it hard to think straight.

Suddenly she was being picked up and carried into the bathroom. The walk-in shower had multiple shower heads and a bench to sit on. The hot spray that caught her body made her gasp and pull away from the even hotter kiss. The needy growl Fate emitted when she lost contact with her wife made the auburn haired woman smile. Now caught up in the amorous mood Nanoha decided to take things up a notch.

Pulling away completely Nanoha stepped under the cascading water and Fate swore there had never been a more breathtaking sight than her wife naked with water rolling down her smooth soft skin. Enthralled Fate stood there watching as Nanoha picked up the washcloth and began to wash her arms, neck and stomach. The sight of Fate spellbound by her made Nanoha feel incredibly powerful. But what if this kind of power was unhealthy for Fate? Suddenly her ardent mood began to cool.

When Nanoha moved to wash her full breasts with their pouting peaks the freezing spell was broken and Fate rushed forward. Only it was too late, instead of getting a mouthful of tender flesh Fate found herself now being penned to the wall. Nanoha kissed her briefly before pulling back again to speak. The need to make love to her wife was strong but the look in Nanoha's eyes made it clear sex was going to need to wait.

Worried Nanoha asked, "Are you sure this therapist will support our relationship? It wasn't long ago that homosexuality was considered a mental illness. Some people still think that way and want to cure _sufferers_."

Smiling warmly at the concern Fate pecked her wife's lips before replying, "Dr. Lat Cartos is a very open minded man. His daughter is homosexual and has been married to her partner for three years. I sent a wedding present when I got the announcement. The whole family was very kind and supportive of me when I was a patient. If anyone in the world is going to be supportive of our relationship then Doctor Cartos will be the one."

Still freaking out over the idea of therapy Nanoha asked, "Are you sure? He might think we need time apart or that we rushed into this relationship and need to re-evaluate the situation…."

Pressing her fingers to Nanoha's lips to stop this panic filled litany of 'what ifs,' Fate eyes showcased more than a hint of bemusement. This would be the tenth time she addressed this same issue. Having calmly discussed the necessity of therapy with Nanoha, Alicia, Einhart, Vivio, _and_ Carim before they left. At some point she wanted all of them to attend a session with the doctor. Her mental state would affect all of them and theirs' her so it was best they all sat down and made sure not to hurt one another unintentionally. Fate had to smile at the thought that she really did have a family now to take to family therapy. It was rather depressing just having Alicia and a resentful father in the circle, she swore she'd never behave like that disgraceful man.

Pulling Nanoha into the spray of the water with her she said, "Enough with the what ifs Nanoha. You could 'what if' our lives away. Let's concentrate on the 'here and nows', like the fact that I have you naked and wet in my arms."

The feeling of Fate's lips on her sensitive spots made Nanoha squirm and grab on desperately to the blonde's taller form. The use of teeth and tongue to further stimulate her arousal was _very_ effective. The feeling of soft fingers slipping between her wet folds to tease her hard nub made her gasp and call out Fate's name. Then she was being pushed down onto the bench and her legs pulled open.

The sight of her blonde goddess on her knees desperately kissing, licking and sucking at her core was beyond erotic. The feelings each touch brought her was making her head spin and thankful for the solid seat she was resting on. As Fate worked her tongue into her tight passage the stretching made her moan. The slick invader felt so good and the tight grip Fate had on her hips made it impossible to escape the marvelous feelings she was eliciting.

Later having been carried to the oversized bed still dripping wet Nanoha wondered what her wife was up to when she pulled away instead of crawling onto the bed with her. Then her hands were being caught and secured and Fate was hovering over her with the very familiar strapon firmly in place. Being filled so gently and fully by her wife was enough to drive all cogent thought from her mind. Fate held her wife by her hips as she slowly rotated her own hips and making the woman beneath her moan with pleasure.

Fate knew Nanoha's secret desires and fantasies and thanked the heavens they meshed so well with her own. She knew somewhere in both their deep subconsciouses they needed this connection. That the wiring from their ancient primordial monkey brains compelled Fate to do this to somehow finalize her claim over the babies her wife carried. Fate might not have been able to impregnate her the traditional way but she could dominate her body to the fullest extent claiming everything within her. The desperate arching of Nanoha's hips as she tried to receive more of Fate made it clear she needed this on more than one level.

Hands gripping her restraints Nanoha concentrated on the feeling of Fate's warmth above her. The fact that it was her wife who was giving her so much pleasure even after all the hardship and stress she put her through was almost too much to believe. Fate's breakdown had awoken all her own fears and insecurities which somehow seemed to stabilize Fate. She was the weak link in Fate's life, she should be aiming to remove her like a faulty wire instead of treating her like a precious treasure. Yet here Fate was raining down love on her and making her gasp with pleasure. As Fate rocked their hips together Nanoha let out a shaking breath, letting the pleasure wash over her all her dark thoughts fled in the face of Fate's touch.

Waking hours later to the feeling of Fate playing with her hair Nanoha opened an eye a crack to watch her surreptitiously. The look of love and wonder in Fate's eyes as always made her heartbeat speed up. The feeling of those delightful fingers playing over her scalp and through her hair detangling the mess it has become due to their activities was enough to make her shiver. Then the hand that had been in her hair slid down her arm and took hold of her hand and entwined their fingers together.

Fate spoke with a slightly amused tone of voice, "I know you are awake mio amore. Are you waiting for me let down my guard so you can get your revenge?"

Snuggling into Fate's side and pressing a kiss to the exposed skin before replying made her wife's breath hitch and gave Nanoha a slight advantage by distracting her, "Um why does Fate-chan suspect me of planning revenge? I thoroughly enjoyed everything you did for me, besides in my condition it wouldn't be as feasible for me to retaliate in kind."

Honestly Fate had no idea how Nanoha did it. The feeling of her lover's body pressed into her own, the feeling of Nanoha's lips touching her, it was all too much. Wrapping her arms around Nanoha she barely heard her reply as she started cocooning her wife. The giggling and squirming her victim emitted as she tucked her in tighter and made sure there was no escape made her heart sing.

Nibbling on Nanoha's ear Fate spoke slightly drunk on the endorphins her wife caused to flood her system, "I am going to confess to something which I will probably regret later but I think you should know."

She paused for a moment to licked her wife's neck and sucked on a sensitive spot until a small love mark was left behind, pulling away from her handywork Fate continued, "I really like touching you. Not just when we are making love but any touch we can exchange makes me insanely happy. When our hands touch when we pass items I get this little thrill pass through me. When our bodies brush while we are walking I get weak at the knees and my heart skips a beat. When you take my hand and hold it so possessively it makes me happy beyond what words could describe."

Nuzzling the soft skin of her lover's neck with her nose making Nanoha squirm a little before driving laughter out of her head with a gentle possessive bite. The slick tongue that came next to sooth the abused skin further fanned the flame of desire. Holding tight to the one who drove away all her pain and fear Nanoha tried to think of a way to retaliate. When had Fate become the dominate one in their relationship? Then Nanoha realized she always had been, she might have hesitated on certain things and waited to see if Nanoha wanted to engage in certain activities before escalating their play but it was always Fate in the lead in the end.

Nanoha might have said she wanted to kiss Fate, but it was Fate who initiated the first kiss. She said she wanted to make love to Fate but it was Fate who first made love to her. Even with the strapon which she thought had given her the upper hand for a while proved to be a far more effective tool in Fate's umm skillful hands. Sure she had gotten to fulfill all her secret desires with Fate but in turn they had all been turned against her and she been reduced to a quivering mound of jelly.

Pushing her wife down Nanoha looked at her quizzically, "You just like to pretend to be subservient? You really are the master in our relationship, aren't you?"

Confused where this was coming from Fate said, "Mio amore I don't think I am more dominate than you, I am not that brave. I only go so far as I know you will let me, if you told me to stop I would instantly pull away and beg forgiveness for having pushed you too far. If it seems like I am dominate in our sex life it's only because I can't get enough of you. I have never felt like this before, you are an addictive drug. That's the reason why I am starting to panic over you dying, I don't think I could survive losing you."

Nanoha thought about this, was Fate generous or domineering? From day one Fate had always displayed a generous nature. Constantly giving of her time, attention and money. How many charities and foundations depended on Fate's generosity? The teens who were her students loved her more for the honest interest she showed for their lives than for any material object she could bestow. She struggled to think of a time when Fate had been domineering.

Even when she was angry with Vice or Cypha, Fate had been protective, she hadn't even tried to claim Nanoha possessively. Fate didn't have the arrogance to make such claims. At least not outside of their bed. In bed Fate reciprocated her behavior, Nanoha needed to feel 'claimed' to get off now. Her pregnancy made her even more territorial and Fate had gone along with her behavior but she hadn't initiated any of the possessive behavior.

Had her possessive behavior set off Fate's paranoid fears? Before she had taken to marking Fate she'd been fine emotionally. Was the marking reminding her subconsciously of her mother's behavior. The anxiety that thought brought her filled her eyes and Fate instantly wondered at it.

Clutching at Nanoha she pressed their foreheads together, "Mio amore, what's going on that head of yours? Do you really not like the way I behave in our bed? I can restrain myself, I just want to make you happy."

The laughing sob this elicited made Fate's fear spike for a moment before Nanoha kissed her hard to stop her stuttering apologies for being such a bad lover. Only Fate would apologize for making her lover feel so wanted and was an almost childlike innocence to the way Fate loved that made it impossible to resist her charms. Fate loved freely but with the hungry insistence of someone who was sure this wonderful treat was going to be snatched away from her. This belief hadn't made her greedy or selfish with her love, instead she was more extravagant in her own displays of affection.

Anytime she wanted something from Fate the woman gave it to her. She didn't even need to verbally or consciously know she was asking and Fate gave it. When she was feeling insecure or needy Fate wrapped her arms around her and kissed away all her troubles. Even in sex Fate was constantly giving and had a hard time restraining herself from touching Nanoha when she was in the lead. She knew now it wasn't from wanting to dominate Nanoha but because she wanted to touch her and reassure herself that Nanoha really was still there with her. Beyond the physical pleasure they both felt when they touched there was the emotional reassurance they both experienced with each touch and kiss.

Just as Fate said, she loved the feel of their skin touching and the greater the contact the happier it made her. The flickering tongue now teasing her own made her groan and pull Nanoha tighter against her. Already she was losing sight of the conversation and the concerns they had voiced. But the seed of doubt had been planted and she needed reassurance before they continued.

Breaking the kiss, the sound of Nanoha's whimper caused a fleeting smirk to cross her lips before she asked once again, "Do I need to change the way I behave in bed with you? Am I too rough or demanding?"

Feeling guilty over causing Fate to doubt herself Nanoha sighed self-deprecatingly, "No love, If anyone is too rough and demanding it's me."

Shifting so she was leaning against the headboard Fate settled her wife on her lap for a serious conversation, "Mio amore, we have our first session with the therapist tomorrow but I think we really need to talk about our sex life now. Have I ever hurt you or been unmindful of you?"

Placing her hands on Fate's shoulders Nanoha answered emphatically, "Never. If anything you have been overly conscious of my needs. My only complaint would be you never let me gain the upper hand with you. You are always topping me, not just in bed but with all the little things you do for me. No matter what I do I can't seem to catch up, you spoil me rotten and all I do is cause you stress."

Frowning at this familiar complaint Fate pointed out, "Nanoha just because I am not having an equal number of orgasms at night or having you cook for me special meals so many nights a week does not mean I'm ahead and you're behind in "loving," this isn't a competition. Besides you would have won the contest hands down long ago if it was. Look at me, really look at what you married willingly. Touch your own swollen stomach if you are somehow growing forgetful about the score. What is a couple of back or foot rubs compared to your willingness to have my babies?"

Touching the round mound Fate laughed lightly before she continued, "You know Stern never would have done this. Cypha would think this will ruined her body. I don't even want to think about what some of the other women who showed an interest in me would have said or done if put in a similar position. Honestly I don't want to think too hard about this happening with anyone but you. From the first moment we met something inside me shifted, sigh… no make that clicked. It was like my soul knew here was the person I was unknowingly searching for."

Nanoha leaned her forehead against Fate's and sighed, "I love you so much. You never let me doubt your love, you never make me feel small or stupid."

Kissing Nanoha softly Fate then said, "Of course not, you may not be perfect but you as close to it as I have ever seen. You struggle with your self-esteem because of what the Scryas did to you. But to me you are an angel. A divine blessing that I can't imagine living without now that I've found you."

Looking down at her round belly Nanoha finally admitted to why she was so scared of therapy, "Um Fate-chan, I've seen a therapist before. After my miscarriage I got really depressed. The man the Scryas sent me too was deep in their pockets. He tried to make me feel guilty for killing my baby. I ended up getting _upset_ with him and then I was pulled out of therapy. It was after that fiasco that the Scryas let me go back to school."

Covering Nanoha stomach Fate said with tears in her eyes, "If god chooses to take these babies from us it won't be your fault Nanoha. If he takes you from me then I know it will because it was your time to leave. I will do all in my power to protect you and to make your time with me as happy as possible in the meantime."

Curling into Fate's arms more comfortably Nanoha found her niche and settled against her wife for the night. She had no idea what tomorrow would bring but she would trust Fate knew what she was doing.


	26. Chapter 26: Therapy

A/N: Hi all, sorry about the delay in updating, I had the chapter finished then I realized I made a storyline error and had to fix it. I will be introducing a new character next chapter but don't worry she won't cause any angst. In fact I am hoping to have a little fun with her…fufufu. Um yeah well, I have been working on some one-shots but nothing has really taken off. I hope to have something special for Halloween written and the next chapter of ACL uploaded at the same time. I have a futa Fate story in the works and a vampire story idea knocking around. Which one should I concentrate on finishing? Let me know in the reviews. WARNING: The futa story is VERY smutty, I blush just thinking about it.

Disclaimer: Nope, I still don't own Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha or its characters. I make no profit from my writing.

~"~"~"~

Pulling up to the offices of Dr Lat Cartos Nanoha felt her nerves spike. She hated people who messed about in people's heads. Pulling at her clothes she tried to make herself look as presentable as possible. Since breakfast that morning Nanoha felt as if this appointment was going to be nothing but a disaster.

Stepping into the office with Fate's arm wrapped around her waist was the only reason Nanoha didn't bolt back out the door. The older woman behind the receptionist desk looked them over with judgmental eyes. She didn't seem very impressed with Nanoha and there was a gleam of disappointment in her eyes for Fate. If Fate noticed this she didn't say anything but instead smiled graciously to the woman before greeting her warmly.

"Hello Madam Cartos, how have you been?"

The woman's smile seemed strained to Nanoha but she responded in a kind tone, "Quite well Dr Testarossa. Please introduce me to your bride."

Fate's frown at being so addressed was pronounced but she was able to keep the growl out of her voice as she corrected the older woman, "My name is Fate Takamachi now, I am sure I informed your office of this change," then she turned to her wife and said in a gentle tone, "Mio amore please let me introduce you to Madam Natia Cartos," then turning back to the older woman she continued with the introductions, "Madam Cartos it is my pleasure to introduce you to my wife, Nanoha Takamachi."

The older woman nodded at Nanoha but didn't seem all that pleased with Fate's choice of bride. The strained silence was broken by a door opening and an older gentleman entering the waiting area. He took in the couple and his eyebrows twitched in surprise. Despite his obvious disconcertion at the sight of Nanoha he did his best to greet them both with a gracious warmth. Shepherding them into his office he had them sit on a leather couch before reaching for a notepad. They exchanged pleasantries briefly before the man settled back in his high back chair.

Unscrewing the top of his pen he looked at Nanoha and Fate before asking in general, "I would like to ask some general questions to get an idea of what kind of relationship you have. Please answer me in as detailed manner as possible. Ahem what were your first impressions of your partner when you met?"

Nanoha didn't really feel like sharing but Fate spoke without hesitation, "She terrified me, I was overwhelmed by her. Her talent and accomplishments already had me sure I was going to make a fool of myself. Then I saw her and she was so beautiful, when our eyes met I saw something in her eyes that called to me. Then I realized I knew her family and I was ready to bolt, her family is very touchy-feely and nosy. I feared my life was about to become very uncomfortable with her in it. I withdrew into myself as tightly as possible but Alicia ruined that by hitting on her during our lunch break. Somehow I found myself touching her to pull her away and I found she felt…" Fate looked down at her hand and rubbed her fingers together before finishing, "right."

Leaning forward Dr Cartos turned his gaze on Nanoha and waited for her answer, playing with her wedding ring she finally said, "She was like a flame behind glass. I finally understood what people meant by the saying, 'a moth to the flame.' I could tell from the way she held herself she didn't want people getting into her personal space so I tried my best to respect that. I had no wish to end up like the proverbial moth, bashing myself to death from the futile attempt to reach something beyond my reach. It worked for a little while but unfortunately Fate made the mistake of letting me see glimpses of her real self. The way she behaved with her sister, cousin and students made me fall in love with her."

Making some notes Dr Cartos then asked, "How long have you suffered from Stigmatophilia Miss Takamachi?"

Nanoha frowned at the question not understanding but Fate's frown and growl of, "My wife does not suffer from any sexual deviations and you will do well to remember to address her properly."

Blinking at this unexpected outburst the doctor shuffled his papers then asked generally, "How do your respective families feel about your relationship?"

This question was an easy one to answer and hopefully would help the doctor understand how vital Nanoha was to her life. Looking at her wife with eyes filled with love Fate's couldn't contain her smile. That smile should have spoken volumes to the doctor but unfortunately he was purposely being dense.

Squeezing Nanoha's hand Fate replied, "Alicia and Einhart love Nanoha. They both tried to help us get together in fact. I was so confused over my feelings for Nanoha I would lay on the couch with Alicia trying to work them out and she had a ball teasing the hell out of me. She tried to tell me I was in love but I thought she was joking. I think I got the first inkling that I might care for her more than a friend when I was ready to bash Alicia's head in when she suggested she go on a date with Nanoha. I think the look I gave her scared her because she never mentioned that idea again but she did talk about others going out with Nanoha and it always made me feel empty."

Nanoha squeezed Fate's hand at this admission then without even thinking about the therapist in the room Nanoha answered in turn, "My family loves Fate. They know about her past and her scars, both physical and emotional and accept her. Mama, my sister and daughter were also involved in a plan to get us together. They could both see I was head over heels in love with Fate and were pretty sure from the way Fate behaved she loved me too. Papa and my brother both respect her and think this match is good for both of us. They are all involved in our lives, even Fate's extended family is now part of our lives. I really didn't know what to think of the Harlaowns or Starks at first but I would never try to separate her from the people who love her."

The furious scribbling of notes at this made Nanoha frown but before she could say something he looked up and asked, "What kind of social life do you have?"

Snaking an arm around Nanoha to pull her closer Fate then answered, "You remember how much I hate social gatherings?"

The older man grimaced, "Vividly, you abused Nove something awful when you were dating with that bad attitude of yours."

Instantly Nanoha stiffened at this comment and her pained questioning, "Fate?" made Fate want to pummel the doctor into mush.

Taking a deep breath to calm herself Fate said in as even a voice as she could muster, "I never dated Nove, I went to two events in her company. And that was only because people wanted to meet my model for the painting I won an award for. Please do not overstate matters like that."

The doctor's shoulders squared at her reply then he responded tartly, "I don't think I am overstating matters, you spent many hours staring at my niece nude and kissed her."

Suddenly Fate was on her feet and grabbing a hold of the man yanking him to his feet, "Are you purposefully trying to hurt my wife or are you just stupid? I painted her nude because I couldn't find another model I could trust. She offered and I accepted because we were friends! I did not and never have had any romantic interest in Nove. And as for that so-called kiss she meant it to be a peck on the cheek and I made the mistake of moving my head at the wrong time. Neither of us felt anything other than embarrassment from the event."

The feeling of a soft hand on her back made Fate release her hold on the doctor. Turning to look at her wife Fate found herself being looked straight in the eyes. Her heart and soul were suddenly being x-rayed by inquisitive eyes and in that bare instant Nanoha saw the truth. Fate had never been in love with anyone but her, had never longed for anyone but her romantically. Anger at the doctor flared up in her as she gently pushed Fate aside and doctor discovered he had just leapt out of the frying pan into the fire.

Glaring at the man Nanoha took hold of his tie and yanked him downwards so they were looking eye to eye, "I don't know why you are trying to undermine my relationship with Fate-chan but you are going to find there is nothing you can do that will make me leave her. Fate is mine and I will never relinquish my claim on her. The children growing inside me will be raised by us both."

The hot rage burning in Nanoha's veins at the behavior this man had been exhibiting made her want to throttle him. She was done with people fucking with her mind and making her question her decisions and life. Her relationship with Fate was one of the few things she knew was tougher than diamonds. And like diamonds the only thing that could damage their relationship would be themselves. As her eyes bore into the man's eyes she could see fear and panic, had he not realized she would react this way? Had he thought she would crumble and pull away from Fate?

Fingers twitching with the need to squeeze some sense into the idiot doctor Nanoha wondered why people kept thinking the feelings she and Fate shared were so transitory. Her feelings would last longer than her body. She loved Fate with everything she was: heart, body and soul. Whatever afterlife there was she would love Fate there also for all time. And as deeply as she loved Fate so too did Fate love her. She saw it in her eyes, felt it in her touch, and in every kiss they shared.

The realization that nothing could separate them but themselves struck Nanoha as an epiphany, alive or dead Fate would always be the person she loved most. As painful as it would be to lose Fate to death it would only be a temporary separation. When her time on earth came to an end she would rejoin Fate and then there would be no further separation. She would be with Fate for eternity; this life was just the prelude. The smile that began to spread across her face worried the doctor and he started to gibber.

Wondering what would be the best way to punish this man Nanoha realized it wasn't worth it. Releasing her hold Nanoha was surprised by Fate immediately moving between them and wrapping her arms around her. Melting into the hold Nanoha decided she wouldn't waste anymore time worrying about the inevitable end and would just live each day to the fullest. Now she just needed to get Fate to come to the same conclusion and stop this spiraling fear from consuming either of them.

Fate could see Nanoha's fingers twitching with the need to strangle the man with his own tie and knew she had to intervene before someone got hurt. The way the doctor's eyes bulged with fear and his incoherent stammering made it clear he had no hope of calming Nanoha. The last thing she wanted was her wife ending up in jail for assault, even if the man was asking for a thrashing. Seeing Nanoha's hands pull away from the man's throat and pushed her body between the pair before she had a chance to strike the man.

Kissing Nanoha's temple Fate said, "Mio amore, I am sorry. I thought this would help us. I thought I...we could trust him. Many people thought I belonged with Nove since we _looked_ good together and I was reasonably comfortable around her. I never felt anything romantic for her. I was no closer to her than I am to Ginga or Reinforce. We were good friends at one time but we grew apart over time. Dr. Cartos and his wife thought we would make a good match but she never even showed an interest in me like that and their constant harping on the subject lead to us breaking off the connection."

Snuggling in closer Nanoha squeezed Fate as she whispered, "Take me home Fate-chan."

Kissing her cheek Fate held her tightly for a moment then looked up at the man she no longer trusted, "I hope your delusions were worth it, I will be reporting this incident to the board. You and your wife disgust me. I never would have expected this from you."

Pushing Nanoha towards the door Fate kept her body between the two opposing parties. Dr Cartos stood stunned for a long moment, he had never seen Fate act this way. He had never thought Fate could be so forceful or speak with such passion about anything beyond art. It was clear Nanoha wasn't just a new security blanket.

Outside the office Madame Cartos stood up at the abrupt opening of the door and seeing Fate and her wife making for the exit tried to call out, "Fate!"

Glaring at the woman Fate didn't respond but pushed them faster out the door. She had no use for people who would purposely hurt Nanoha. This whole situation had turned into a fiasco and the sooner they were gone the better.

~"~"~"~

Nanoha watched Fate as she drove, it was clear from her set jaw and tense shoulders she was angry with how the whole therapy session had gone. Was it even right to call what happened therapy? It had been one big setup from the start. She knew there were people in the world who didn't think she was right for Fate and had feared something like this might happen but imagining it and actually experiencing it were two different things.

The whole thing had been surreal and in the end nothing like she had imagined. Not once had Fate wavered in her dedication to her. The one clumsy attempt to tear her down had been shut down harshly. Fate really was nothing like Yuuno, he would have sat back and let the doctor do as he planned in hopes it would soften her up. Her unwillingness to give in to certain of his demands had always rankled and was what eventually lead to him searching elsewhere for 'love.'

Fate knew she couldn't take Nanoha home just yet, the place was packed to the gills with nosy family and they needed to settle some issues before being exposed to the mob. She directed the car to the one place she could think of with any pleasant recollection at the moment. It didn't take long for Nanoha to figure out where Fate was taking them and her confused but pleased look relieved her mind. At least Nanoha wasn't giving her anguished looks of betrayal because of the whole idiotic scene.

The rising hillside that overlooked the city was a very different place in the bright summer daylight but it still offered a secluded calming atmosphere. Getting out of the car Fate pulled a blanket out of the trunk once again but didn't think sex was going to be on either of their minds for a while yet. Helping Nanoha out of the car she led her a little further up the hill to one of the shading trees. Spreading out the blanket and helping Nanoha to the ground Fate rested her back to the tree and pulled Nanoha against her. The willing way Nanoha melted against her relieved even more of her internal anxiety but only heightened her guilt over exposing her to such despicable people. If Nanoha ever started to hate her she didn't know what she would do.

Curling a little onto her side Nanoha leaned her head against Fate's chest and listened to her heartbeat for a few moments before speaking, "I love you. Nothing will ever change that, not even death."

Fate wrapped herself around Nanoha tightly as tears she had no way of controlling began to pour out of her in great sobs. She was scared, angry and confused but most of all she was desperately in love with the woman she held. Maybe this love was obsessive, maybe it was unhealthy, maybe it had to be in order to overcome all her other issues. Maybe she had to love Nanoha as strongly as she did in order to overcome the fear and insecurity that otherwise ruled her life. All Fate knew at that moment was without Nanoha there was nothing, nothing but the grey restlessness that engulfed her whenever they were apart.

Nanoha let Fate cry for a short while, she better than anyone else knew sometimes you just needed to let out the hurt. Her gentle-hearted lover did not trust easily and to have been betrayed as she had been by someone she had believed in so wholeheartedly must hurt worst than knives. Running her hands through the silky blonde tresses she loved so much she soon found herself whispering words of love and devotion which seemed to help slow the flow of tears. It seemed strange up until the quack of a doctor had actually started his pathetic attempt to undermine their relationship she had been a nervous wreck. Now the worst had happened and seeing Fate move like quicksilver to shut the man up had been more than a little arousing. Fate hadn't even shown one ounce of hesitation once his intentions became clear, anyone trying to hurt Nanoha in any fashion was always going to be torn to shreds.

Pulling her snuggling cry baby out of the crook of her neck Nanoha pressed kisses to her wet cheeks, then feeling the warmth inside her growing she placed butterfly kisses along Fate's flushed face. The teasing kisses soon had her blonde lover forgetting what had her so upset and capturing her lips for a devouring kiss. Wriggling around Nanoha soon found herself in the perfect position to begin undoing her wife's blouse and bra. The moan of pleasure that reverberated against her mouth as she tweaked a nipple lovingly just fed the flames of her desire more.

It was only her growing belly that prevented Nanoha from escalating matters; she was beginning to really hate how restrictive her pregnancy was becoming. She wanted so badly to push Fate over and bury her face in her golden garden and drink up all her delicious nectar. It was downright cruel the way she was being inhibited by her unwieldy stomach. Not even the pathetic whimpering noises Fate was now making as she rubbed her wife's core over her clothes was enough to appease her dominating hunger. She wanted to make Fate scream her name, she needed to mark her lover again and taste her love on her tongue.

Knowing in this state she could probably get Fate to do anything she wanted Nanoha pulled back and almost laughed at the way soft lips tried to follow her retreating mouth. Cupping Fate's face she looked into eyes now dilated with arousal and burning hot with desire. The knowledge that only she could elicit this reaction in Fate made her feel like the most powerful being on the planet. No longer would she fear what this power meant she would embrace it fully and tame it. Only she was allowed to touch and taste Fate. No other had come before and no other would come after.

Leaning in slightly she let her tongue slip out teasingly to skim over soft lips and wished it was a different pair she was now parting with her flickering muscle. As if thinking the same Fate caught Nanoha's torturous hand and pushed it into her pants. If Nanoha didn't touch her soon she'd go insane. The hot wet flesh she discovered snapped Nanoha's self control and two sleek fingers drove their way into Fate's tight heat. Rocking her hips to meet each thrust Fate was now begging for more, that her pleas were made in a mishmash of Italian, Japanese and French just proved Nanoha had driven all coherent thought from her mind. All Fate could do was beg and hold tightly to the one who owned every fiber of her being.

~"~"~"~"~

When Fate woke from her warm doze it was to the feeling of a gentle hand playing with her hair and the soft mumble of her favorite voice. Then there was a soft beep and opening her eyes she saw Nanoha turn off her cell phone and tuck it away. Nanoha was so conscientious; her calling their family to tell them not to worry about the long delayed couple would prevent them building themselves up into a frenzy of concern. Everyone was concerned over Fate's most recent emotional break down and the fact that it was affecting Nanoha's delicately balanced mental state.

Gleaming sapphire eyes looked down on her and before she could say a word Nanoha pressed a finger to her lips, "uh-ah Fate-chan, I want to say something before you work yourself into a state again."

Sighing Fate nodded her agreement to let Nanoha say her piece but Nanoha never removed her hand instead she now played a finger up and down the sensitive skin of her lips. The feeling of Nanoha touching her was doing weird things to her ability to concentrate. Seeing the fuzzy look of aroused befuddlement cloud Fate's eyes was almost too much of a temptation to resist but Nanoha knew there was plenty of time for sex later. Now was time for talking, even if the topic was going to be heavy and likely a mood killer.

Lifting her finger she began speaking, "Fate-chan, when you started freaking out about me dying my pregnancy hormones had me thinking the worst also. With both of us now stuck in a spiraling circle of fear you found the strength to pull out of it because you didn't want me stressing out. My love, have you ever been able to do that? The last time you freaked out like that I had to sit on you and struggled to get you to recognize how much I love and need you. This time you pulled yourself out of the funk and while I can see you are still fearful, it's nowhere near the level of over-protectiveness Alicia described you going through with her. And I am one hundred percent sure you love me just as much as your sister, if only in a different way."

Catching Nanoha's hand Fate pulled it back to her lips to kiss her fingertips before replying, "You're right about all of that. I love Alicia but I could never contemplate doing the things I do with you with her. There was a time when I thought she was the only person I could trust, the only safe person in the world. In her own inimitable way she showed me there were people out there I could trust and who would accept me for who I am. It was a slow and painful process for both of us."

Thinking more on what Nanoha had said Fate gave a huffing laugh and said, "You know I have never been able to pull myself out of a funk or lockdown the fear inside me. Not until you entered my life. You might not believe it but I used to live in a constant state of fear. Not so much of people discovering my secrets and being disgusted with me but of them thinking I deserved it. Of getting close to someone and having them learn of my past then deciding I deserved to be beaten and have them raise their hand to me. I don't know what I'd do if that ever happened."

The idea of anyone raising their hand to Fate made Nanoha's blood boil, with more than a hint of a growl to her voice she said, "Well I know what I'd do. Anyone trying to hurt you will find out how much of a devil I really can be. I don't care how much trouble I get in, I won't allow anyone to hurt you. They'll be lucky if I leave them the ability to breath. You've been hurt too much, more than any one person should be expected to endure in a dozen lifetimes."

The look in Nanoha's eyes should have frightened Fate, the devil her family and friends called her fiery wife was clearly visible in her burning eyes. Instead of being scared she was reassured, Nanoha could be violent but she wasn't violent by nature. Only a threat to those she loved would bring that side of her to the fore, otherwise the woman was the most loving and gentle being she had ever encountered. Remembering the way Nanoha would curl into her during a horror film and her pouting face when being teased just made her want to spoil her for the rest of their lives.

Smiling up at Nanoha Fate said, "It could have only been you. From the first moment our eyes met my soul knew, it wasn't very long after that my heart figured it out and it was just my dense mind that had to struggle with accepting the most obvious thing in the world. I am sorry I took so long to figure it out. I love you Nanoha."

Poking Fate's nose Nanoha teased, "You are forgiven Fate-chan, but only because you've done such a good job in making up for lost time," then she rubbed her belly and said, "though I am beginning to think it would have been smarter to have made you carry these little devils."

Scooting her head off Nanoha's lap Fate then reached for her wife to pull her onto her stomach, she really needed to feel her warmth properly, "Come here love, I want to feel you and our little angels."

The clumsy way Nanoha climbed onto her made her smile at the frustrated pout Nanoha showed as she held her belly with one hand and levered herself onto Fate with her other hand. Rubbing the swollen tummy of her lover Fate felt her fears recede further as the fluttering feeling of life let her know their daughters were healthy and eagerly anticipating the day they could join the wider world.

Soft hands covered her own on Nanoha's stomach before her auburn haired angel spoke again, "Fate-chan, I don't know when either of us will die but I don't want you to become obsessed with the fear of losing me. I've told you before even if I die I will still love you. Maybe I didn't explain that right but I will still be with you," placing one hand over Fate's heart she then continued, "I'll be right here. As long as you love me I will never really leave you."

Swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat at Nanoha's words Fate covered the hand on her heart with both her own before replying, "I will love you until the end of time, always and forever. You are in my soul."

The soft steady thump of Fate's heart under her hand seemed to speak to her. The beating a sort of Morse code that said, ' _I love you, I love you, I love you,_ ' just as someone might tap out S.O.S. over and over in desperate hopes of being rescued. It was the same message her own heart pounded out every second of the day since Fate came into it. She might not have realized it but she had been falling for Fate from the instant they met.

She couldn't even remember why she had tried to write off her feelings as merely lust or infatuation at the start. That self deception might have worked in the beginning but the truth finally won out. Now barely a year and a half later she knew the truth, Fate was her soul mate. Nothing else explained how two people with as much baggage as they had could possibly overcome their past hurts and love so deeply.

Looking down into burgundy eyes that no longer held fear or pain Nanoha felt her own anxiety dissipate. Fate's eyes might look like rubies but the love that shone from them was stronger than diamonds and infinitely more precious to her. Trailing a hand over the smooth contours of Fate's beautiful face she said, "I think it's time to go home now love, I really want to get you in our bed. A blanket on the grass might be nice when I'm no longer pregnant but right now I'd really prefer a bed so neither of us gets hurt."

Lifting the hand off her chest Fate played with the soft fingers, lacing their fingers together and sliding her hand up and down in a manner that was becoming every distracting. The feeling of Fate's fingers working their way up and down the gaps between her fingers and their palms rubbing was making Nanoha's hormones riot. It was really unfair of her to do this to her. Fate had to know this was teasing of the worst kind.

With a mighty effort Nanoha lunged to her feet surprising Fate. Standing over the prone blonde Nanoha spoke in her most imperious voice, "Get up and get us home. I am going to have my way with you and it's not going to happen on the grass."

From where she lay on the rumpled blanket Fate couldn't help admiring her wife's imposing figure. She knew from the way Nanoha spoke she was getting very close to the edge of her self-control. It might not be wise but Fate knew the more she dragged this out the more dominating Nanoha would be once they got to their bed. To be wholly devoured by Nanoha, to be fully possessed and loved by her sweet devil was now her not-so-secret vice.

Fate began to wonder why she even worried about being obsessed with Nanoha, there were worst things she could be addicted too. Drugs, alcohol, power, money were all things people usually coveted, none of those things mattered when compared to Nanoha's touch. An addict might commit heinous crimes to feed their addiction, Fate knew she could and would do anything for the woman before her without hesitation or guilt. It was the knowledge that Nanoha would never ask her to commit crimes on her behalf that eased her fears and allowed her to give herself up to Nanoha's commanding presence.

Instead of sliding out from under her wife Fate sat up and took hold of her wife's legs. Eyes wide at the sudden grasp on her Nanoha tried to escape but found the tree blocking her retreat. The look of triumph on Fate's face and the lascivious gleam in her eyes told Nanoha there was going to be a delay in leaving. Pushing the long skirt up Fate pressed kisses to Nanoha's thighs and nipped at the sensitive flesh.

Shaking with frustration Nanoha gripped Fate's shoulder and begged, "Fate, please stop. I really want you but this whole situation is uncomfortable."

Looking up at this Fate could see tears were now forming in Nanoha's eyes, instantly she was on her feet and pleading for forgiveness, "Mio amore, I am so sorry. I didn't mean to push you."

The kicked puppy look Fate was giving her wasn't helping the situation so Nanoha did what she had too. Grabbing her wife she turned and pushed her into the tree then kissed her hard. Fate was so lost in the kiss she forgot to breath. When Nanoha finally pulled away she was gasping for air but more than air she wanted those lips on hers again.

Covering Fate's lips with her fingers Nanoha said, "Let's go home love. I promise you'll get as many kisses as you want but we have to go home first."

Being swept up in Fate's arms and carried to the car wasn't what she expected to happen but the long quick strides ate up the distance and she was then subjected to Fate's speed demon tendencies. She was sure Fate was skirting legality with some of her maneuvers on the roadway but she certainly got them home in record time.

Not wanting to be caught up by their families Fate didn't pull up to the house but instead to the old servants' quarters behind the great house. Nanoha had never gone inside the building since it was mostly for storage according to Alicia. Instead of going into the main house Fate pulled her into the building and rushing her pass furniture draped with sheets she took her to a small room towards the back. In the room the walls were plastered with sketches, there was a large bed and couch along with a desk at the window. The cramped quarters had once been Fate's retreat from all others when visiting during the holidays.

No one but Fate had ever been allowed entry in this secluded cubbyhole before today. From the look of the room it was clear this is where Fate had disappeared to earlier in the morning. Fresh sheets on the bed and the dust had been removed from the surfaces. Looking at the walls Nanoha could see how far Fate had come from her youthful beginning. There were the signature liveliness to the pictures which made all her subjects appear be on the cusp of moving but they lacked the detail Fate was now famous for. As eye catching as the artwork was it wasn't what was now capturing her full attention, it was a needy Fate who was now seeking those promised kisses.

Tongues dueled as hands glided over curves and plucked at the unwanted fabric which hid Nanoha's perfect form from her view. Breaking the kiss just long enough to rip shirts off then like a high powered magnet she was stuck to Nanoha again. Pushing off bras then shucking her pants off Fate tried to maintain her balance as Nanoha's own greedy hands started their teasing work. When she stepped out of the pants she then found herself being pushed down to the bed roughly. The hungry look in Nanoha's eyes made her core tighten, she so wanted Nanoha to taste her but there was no way she'd let her wife sit on her knees now just so she could be pleasured.

Breathless with desire Nanoha vocalized both their wants and clearly knew how she was going to get what she wanted, "I want you Fate. I need to taste you so bad it hurts. So you are going to be a good wife and do as I tell you."

Scooting over Fate watched as Nanoha placed herself in the center of the bed and placed a pillow under her head. Then she found herself being pulled upwards and she knew exactly what Nanoha wanted. Fate had done this for Nanoha more than once and honestly loved it. To be buried in Nanoha's secret place and giving her pleasure was her favorite thing to do. Now Nanoha wanted to do the same for her and the thought made it hard to maintain her cool. Arranging herself carefully so as not to suffocate her lover Fate held tightly to the headboard.

The first lick had Fate moaning Nanoha's name and each successive lick tore at Fate's ragged self-control. Nanoha didn't want Fate to hold back, she wanted everything her lover had to give. She knew she was greedy when it came to Fate, tonight she planned on taking her greediness to a whole new level. It was time Fate realized being 'obsessed' had its benefits.

Holding Fate by the hips she kept her wiggling to a minimum and kept her most sensitive spots within easy reach. The flow of honey was now intoxicating her as she greedily sucked and licked, the pleas for release music to her ears. When Fate's hands reached down to grasp her face to move her to the place she needed her Nanoha punished her with a vicious suck. The cry and rush of sweet fluid let Nanoha know she had reached her goal but it wasn't enough. She needed more, she needed Fate reduced to quivering jelly without a single thought in her head but the pleasure she was giving her.

The continued attention to her sensitive center even as she tried to recover from her orgasm made Fate want to cry with tears of frustration. Nanoha wasn't going to let her touch her and with Nanoha's swollen belly in the way she couldn't flip over and repay her wife for each flickering of that devilish tongue. Being touched by Nanoha was her drug of choice; it drove fear, pain and loneliness away. It was better than her artwork which while satisfying did not keep her warm at night or provide real comfort after a nightmare. Letting go of conscious thought she gave in to Nanoha's demanding mouth and hands and just felt love.

~"~"~"~

Waking up hungry and feeling slightly disoriented Nanoha focused on the warmth that now held her. She was curled on her side wedged between Fate's legs and resting her head on her lover's flat stomach. Fate was half sitting up and surprisingly she had a sketchpad laying on the bed as she drew with broad sweeping lines. The picture was their tangled bodies, Nanoha naked and clearly pregnant sleeping peacefully while hugging a scarred body. There was something about the way Fate drew her own body that made her ache inside with pain. Fate really did hate her body or was it what her mother had done to her body that she hated? There was so much hurt it was unclear even to Nanoha.

Taking the pencil from Fate's hand Nanoha said, "That's all wrong Fate-chan. You aren't drawing it right."

Then she sat up and taking the sketchpad in hand she turned to a fresh sheet of paper and sat back against the wall. Fate laid naked on the bed, exposed fully to Nanoha's clear eyes. With quick strokes of the pencil she began to draw what she saw before her. The long lean body with incredibly sexy curves that proclaimed Fate's femininity. Her strong arms that even in rest made Nanoha feel secure knowing they would guard her from all harm. Then there were Fate's hands, Nanoha had often wished to draw them. The long fingers were tapering and delicate looking, then there were her soft palms that had brushed down her body countless times that she knew would be warm.

Harder to sketch was Fate's face, the human form had always been the hardest thing for Nanoha to draw and this subject was straining her limits. The perfect oval of Fate's face and the gentle grade to her jawline that came to that proud chin seemed impossible to capture correctly. Some would look at this woman and see someone haughty and cold, missing the fear and insecurity that had caused her to build walls around a heart and soul so tender and pure it was a wonder to behold.

Filling in the details starting with her nose which was just perfect for her face, neither too long or thin. With that she moved on to the sensual mouth that had worshiped her body and spoken words of love to her. Drawing the curves almost had Nanoha giving up the exercise so she could experience them once again. Pushing on Nanoha concentrated on the dark eyes that had captured her attention and heart from the first instant they met. They were large and were truly windows into Fate's tortured soul. Despite the pain and hate that had been rained down on her that very soul was still as pure as a newborn babe's.

Long lashes framed those dark eyes and the fine eyebrows which were often the only thing to give any indication of the mood she was in. The slight crimp in one was all the warning a person might receive that they were annoying the blonde woman. Going back to her eyes she tried and felt like she had failed to capture even a tenth of the beautiful mystery of the dark pools. Not even photographs seemed capable of capturing Fate's beauty correctly.

With a small smile she began to draw Fate's hair, at this moment it was ruffled from their earlier love making and that made her all the more sexy in Nanoha's eyes. Her fringe lay over her clear forehead and one unruly lock stuck up adorably. She knew Fate hated that particular lock of hair with the way it never wanted to lay neatly but Nanoha considered it one of her most endearing physical traits. Peeking from the messy locks were her shell-like ears which Nanoha loved to nibble on and were so sensitive to touch and sound.

Shading the picture gave greater depth to the curves and slopes of Fate's form, the scars were filled in with loving attention. Nanoha knew which ones were sensitive to touch and how she could use that to her best advantage. She had never found scars sexy before meeting Fate and honestly she had been more horrified by the pain they indicated Fate had suffered than thought about them being aesthetically appealing. No matter what that idiotic doctor might think otherwise. She accepted Fate's scars as a part of her lover's body, they didn't diminish who she was or her beauty.

Handing the sketchbook over to her lover Nanoha wasn't sure what her wife's response would be. She was much more use to using a computer now to draw and paint, she prayed silently Fate didn't think her offering unworthy. The painting Fate had done of her now hung in their dining room where the most guests could appreciate its beauty. This rough sketch seemed a poor response to that priceless gift.

Fate's first response to Nanoha taking the sketchbook and pulling away was to grab for her clothes or the sheet. But there was something in Nanoha's expression that warned her such a move would only upset her wife. Laying still as Nanoha drew was the hardest thing she had ever done. Nanoha might intimately know every inch of her body by touch but to be studied so closely as her form was committed to paper felt a thousand times more an intimate gesture. Nanoha was now seeing her as she really was, her scars clearly visible and they spoke volumes about the painful history she survived.

It was her fear of that history repeating itself that had her so scared about the obsessive nature of their relationship. Looking at the drawing Fate could see love in each line, Nanoha had recorded each of her scars in exact detail but there was no fear or revulsion in this picture. Laying the book aside Fate looked at her wife and decided to share the reason she had been so insistent on therapy.

"Nanoha, I told you about how my mother changed after the accident. Her growing temper and her striking out at us without reason. I've told you how much in love my parents had been before the accident but I don't think I gave a fair explanation of their relationship. My father was in his late thirties and already pretty famous when he met my mother. Two people more different from each other couldn't have been found. My father loved the spotlight and my mother wanted nothing more than to spend time in her lab. But they fell for each other at first sight and despite their differences were very happy together. They had only dated for a few months before they eloped."

Listening to this last part had Nanoha shivering, it sounded a lot like the two of them. Surely Fate wasn't worried that they could end up like her parents?

"I've told you what life was like with my mother after my father left with Alicia and what life was like for me after they returned for me. But I never told you what life was like for my father. It took a long time for me to finally be able to clearly look back on the past and be able to put myself in his shoes. I might not have made the same decisions he did but I can see how he came to them. I also know he lived with his regrets until the day he died.

"The photos, paintings, home movies and their journals and letters make it clear they thought the world of each other. The happiest day of my father's life according to the journals both my parents kept was the day Precia told him she was pregnant. They had been married for seven years and they were getting desperate to start a family. There is a painting of my mother pregnant that shows how much my father loved his growing family.

"When that same family he proclaimed to love began to fall apart he didn't know what to do. My mother was the rational one in the relationship, she should have been the one to ensure they got help and explained things to him. Without her having taken his finances in hand and finding a reputable financial advisor my father would have died one of those starving artists. He was one of the most frivolous spender I have ever known, buying things on a whim. All these houses we own and not a single one ever felt like a home.

"He filled the hole my mother left in his life with garbage and drinking. Her turning into a monster and nearly killing me after driving him away destroyed what little consideration he had for others. He was a victim, betrayed and misled then left with a child so damaged he had no clue on how to deal with her. Looking at me reminded him of all he lost and what he let the woman he loved become.

"My father was a coward at heart, he didn't want to face the hard parts of life and in the end he left me exposed to the very worst experience a child can suffer. I love you Nanoha, and unlike my father I will never run away when things get rough. I want us to share our lives together and to overcome whatever obstacles life throws at us together. My mental health has been a struggle for me to maintain. The idea of my madness affecting you scares me, you have had enough mental abuse without me adding to it."

Crawling over to her wife Nanoha sat facing her on the bed with her legs curled under her, touching Fate's lips to shush her she decided to say her piece, "You are nothing like your parents or my late husband. The likelihood of you ever hurting me are slim to none. I know you Fate-chan, you are much more likely to hurt yourself than you are to hurt me. I consider it **my** duty to make sure it never gets to that point, if a profession needs to get involved then I will make sure that happens. So far we've done well working out our problems together, if that changes then I will do what is necessary. We promised each other we would trust each other when we are hurting and scared and you haven't let me down once. I would much rather you depended on me just as I have depended on you to work through the fear and insecurities that are plaguing you. I don't ever want you to struggle alone. I don't want there to be anymore scars on your heart, especially not if I can prevent it."

Pulling Nanoha closer Fate kissed her shoulder, "I love you, to the point that none of my issues seem to matter anymore. I didn't think I'd ever be comfortable enough to let someone outside my family see any part of my body, let alone touch it. I never wanted to think about relationships because it was hard enough to maintain friendships without all the complications romance added to the mix. But now it's different, I need you to properly function now. Not like with Chrono for a security blanket but because you are the air I breathe. We can be physically apart and I don't cower in the corner anymore at functions, I find myself more willing and able to talk to people. You make me brave and give me confidence."

Laughing a little at this Nanoha pointed out, "Fate-chan you have always been the bravest person I know. And you have every reason to be confident; you are a genius when it comes to art, beautiful, rich, and have a great personality. Honey, women and men wouldn't be throwing themselves at you constantly if you weren't the hottest thing on two legs they've ever seen."

Looking over Nanoha's nude form Fate had to beg to differ, her full breasts were a distraction even when clothed. The swell of her belly full of life made an already irresistible woman now a divine being in her eyes, she truly was an angel. Hidden in the shadow of that belly was a secret place only she had been able to pleasure, taking away the hurt and humiliation that had come before. Now more than ever Fate felt the pull to take Nanoha into arms and worship her body. She never wanted Nanoha to think on the time before they were together, she belonged to her and even if that blasted man came back from the dead she would not let her go.

Pushing Nanoha onto her back Fate looked over her lover with eyes glowing now with desire, pressing soft kisses to innocuous places that only served to set Nanoha's constantly surging hormones on the warpath. Trying to pull Fate to more sensitive spots just meant the blonde moved further out of her reach and teased once more. Catching one of Nanoha's legs she carefully bent to kiss her ankle then moved slowly up her calf with biting kisses. The light feeling of Fate's teeth on her flesh and the tender kiss to sooth the slight nip had her whimpering and begging Fate to touch her properly.

Moving back up Fate kissed her wife to ease her frustration, "Shhh mio amore, I promise I'm done teasing you now. Now tell me what you want, whatever you want and I'll give it to you."

A dozen increasingly dirty thoughts flooded Nanoha's mind and made her blush. The things Fate would willingly do to please her weren't exactly scandalous but for a woman who had suffered nearly a decade of loveless sex the acts were enough to send a rush of blood to heat her face and core.

Seeing the blush Fate leaned in again and kissed her neck before whispering in her ear hotly, "What are you picturing diavolo bianco?"

Shivering at the hot breath that was now tickling her neck Nanoha voice came out brokenly, "Ah...I...oh… I want you to tease my breasts then lick me," blushing at her own words she pleaded, "Please Fate-chan, I love the way you touch me."

There was the feeling of a slick tongue flicking up her neck before another kiss silenced her. Then that delightful mouth was working its way down to where she wanted it. Soft lips kissed her erect nipples before one was lovingly sucked as a skilled hand teased the other. The soft tug of the fingers had her hips thrusting up in need. That wicked tongue flicked over the peak again and again then teeth lightly grazed over the sensitive peak making it impossible to hold back her voice. Switching over to give the other nipple the same treatment Fate savored the taste of Nanoha's skin on her tongue. The salt of her sweat was a better aphrodisiac than anything that could be bought in a store.

With both nipples now hard as pebbles and aching from the pleasurable torture Nanoha tried to push Fate lower and her inability to speak coherently was enough to bring a smirk to Fate's lips.

Dipping her head to kiss Nanoha's round belly and tease her belly button with her tongue she was reprimanded harshly for her actions, "Damn it Fate, you said you weren't going to tease me. You said you'd give me what I want!"

Knowing this was frustrated lust talking and not her wife Fate almost laughed but instead prevented this turning into a bloodbath by immediately lowering herself to Nanoha's juicy center. Looking over Nanoha's center she could see how aroused she really was. The tender flesh was flushed pink and had a honey glaze to it that was making Fate's mouth water.

Giving the soft wet lips a long lick to collect the sweet dew Fate then pulled away and asked in a throaty voice, "Was that what you wanted?"

Weak from the feeling of that tongue Nanoha let out a pitiful mew of agreement. All she wanted now was Fate to put her mouth back on her body. Thankfully Fate was done teasing, she had barely registered the mewing before she once more ducked her head to continue its happy task. Nanoha's earlier conquest of Fate's body had made her eager to return the favor.

Long delicate fingers massaged her thighs as Fate's tongue danced along her slit. It found the spots that made her gasp and shiver with delight. Dipping into the tight opening the questing muscle wormed its way in deeper and soon Fate was working Nanoha to the edge of madness. Fate felt desperate hands trying to work their way into her hair and batted them away, Nanoha wasn't going to get a chance to pull her away this time. The flick, dip and suck combo she was now utilizing was too much for Nanoha's body to handle. The twisting tongue was forced out as Nanoha's body clamped down and spasmed her release.

Pulling away mouth still wet Fate could see the pleasure on Nanoha's face and wanted that look to stay there forever. Licking her lips she shifted before thrusting two fingers into Nanoha's quivering body. Finding that perfect spot inside her on pure instinct Fate thrusted into her with pounding force and it was only a minute's work to push her lover over the edge once more. Her hand now coated in Nanoha's love Fate pulled it away gently. Waiting until these glorious gems opened again Fate then began to suck them clean.

Nanoha had to turn away from the erotic sight, she was exhausted and starving. But that wouldn't stop her from pouncing Fate again if she watched that display for any length of time.

Seeing her turn away Fate frowned, "What is it mio amore, I thought you liked watching me taste you?"

Groaning Nanoha pulled at the bedclothes as she muttered, "Normally yes but I am starving and exhausted. I need to eat a proper meal before I pass out."

Suddenly Fate realized they had missed lunch and the bedside clock was showing it close to dinner time. Feeling like a complete failure as a wife Fate sighed, "I am so sorry mio amore didn't even think about you or the babies needing to eat. I am such a…"

Sitting up and pressing a hand to Fate's mouth, "You take very good care of me Fate-chan. I needed to feel your love more than food this afternoon. Now it's time to eat then we will take a nice nap and then I am going to show you how much I love you again. I have two appetites and you my love are going to take care of both of them for me."

The look in Nanoha's eyes as she spoke made Fate's mouth go dry, licking her lips and swallowing hard Fate whispered, "As you wish mio amore."

~"~"~"~

A/N2: Up next Beach Time fun and more family hijinks.


	27. Chapter 27: Beach

A/N: I want to say, I AM SO SORRY, to everyone who has been waiting for me to update. I wrote this chapter so many different ways and none felt right. I have over 30 pages of rewrites in my junk file because my muse decided to go on vacation. In addition to trying to write something appropriate for this story I have been tinkering with a couple of plot bunnies and Beta reading. I recommend both stories which have been fun for me to read and talk with their authors about. The first is, Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha: Judgement by TheForgottenPen. The other is a MGLN crossover with the HP universe called Harry Potter and the Secrets of the Past, by Shadowchaos5150. Both stories are NanoFate because we all know I don't support ANY other pairing for the girls.

Disclaimer: I don't own MGLN or any of its characters, I make no profits from my writing.

~"~"~"~

Waking up in Fate's arms wasn't anything new for Nanoha. Nor was the incessant kicking of their growing babies that were now making it impossible to comfortably sleep as they pressed down on her bladder. Slipping out of bed she padded quietly out of the room and to the nearby bathroom trying not to make too much noise and wake her wife. Quickly taking care of her needs she stood in front of the sink and as she washed her hands looked at herself in the mirror.

Sometime in the past day cycle her makeup had been ruined by the workout Fate had put her through. Her faint freckles she had always hated showed up on her pale cheeks and instead of making her hate herself as they always did before they made her think of Fate's gentle kisses. How her soft lips had brushed against her face loving her. The feeling of Fate's fingers as they touched her and the way her eyes glowed with love as she took her in bereft of any disguise made her heart pound.

Turning back to head to the bedroom and her wife Nanoha would normally never be sidetracked by her curiosity but yesterday's events had her wondering more about her wife's past. There in the hallway were portraits covered with sheets and without thinking she pulled one off. The picture before her was of an incredibly beautiful woman with purple hair and plum colored eyes. She was young and the obvious intelligence of the woman shone out from her eyes. Looking at the portrait Nanoha could see the same bone structure her wife had inherited. Their long lean body and sculpted beauty that would have anyone enamored at first sight was clearly genetic.

Moving away from the portrait she pulled on the next sheet and found another painting of the woman. This time in a wedding dress that made her think of Fate with how it hugged her curves. There was a radiant happiness shining her dark eyes as she stared out from the past. Here was the happily married woman who was once the center of one man's world. Here was a woman who had the world at her feet and no clue as to what she was to become.

Hand shaking now Nanoha yanked on the next sheet and felt tears come to her eyes at the sight in front of her. Stomach swollen with life and smiling brighter than a thousand candles was Precia Testarossa. Not knowing why Nanoha reached out and touched the swell of the painting's stomach as if she could reach the then unborn Fate. She understood Fate's fears better now having seen this portrait, how could the artist or this woman have changed so much? The love that it would have taken to paint these portraits should have prevented the artist ever abandoning his muse.

Suddenly the sheet on the next frame fell away and turning she saw Fate holding the dusty sheet as she looked up at the last painting in the hall. There captured in a frozen moment of perfection was Precia as she held her two young daughters. The girls couldn't have been more than two years old and had the look of two cherubs. Nanoha's hands instantly went to her own daughters to cover them protectively; never would she let what happened to Fate befall them. Nothing and no one would ever harm them.

Sighing Fate said, "I told you she loved us… me… once. I look at these paintings and I can't process how this woman became the monster of my nightmares. If I ever show the least sign of being dangerous Nanoha you have to promise me you will take our girls away from me. You have to get as far away from me as possible."

Nanoha wanted to deny the possibility of such a scenario ever occurring but the tear that fell down Fate's cheek stopped her. Here was her wife's greatest fear, becoming a monster and hurting the ones she loved. It was a real fear that no amount of words would ever relieve. Coming closer to her hurting lover Nanoha took her face in her hands to pull her down for a kiss.

Before closing the gap between them Nanoha said with all her conviction, "I promise you Fate-chan I will never let anything or anyone hurt our girls. But you also need to understand I won't… can't leave you. If you ever appear to be losing your mind I will make sure you get the help you need. I won't let you suffer alone; I won't abandon you when you need me most."

The kiss that followed tasted of tears as Fate's cried silently into it. Both relieved and terrified at the promises she had once again been given. As much as she feared hurting her loved ones she feared being abandoned more. She tried to block out the memories of being locked in the cellar for days forgotten, her very existence ignored as she suffered from her injuries, thirst and hunger. The dehumanizing things she had once suffered which had left her full of shame and hate. There was so much of it that she feared herself growing up. How easy it could have been to give into it and hurt others, make them suffer and in the process further ruin herself.

Melting into the tight hold Nanoha had on her she hid herself in her wife's neck. Trying to regain some measure of control over her emotions that these portraits always elicited from her; fear, anger, despair and most frightening… longing. She wanted her mother back, the woman who loved her and sang to her as a child. Was she mad or a fool? To wish for something she could never have and even now be willing to forgive if it meant having her mama back.

Pulling Fate back to the bedroom Nanoha laid them down and held her wife as she cried now more openly. Feelings of guilt for having brought on this breakdown filled her. Why had she been so curious about those pictures?

Trying to sooth Fate by combing her fingers through her hair Nanoha said softly, "I'm sorry Fate-chan. I shouldn't have made you look at those paintings."

Taking a shuddering breath Fate said shakily, "That's not really what upset me. I've looked at them dozens of times. Father wanted to destroy them but I wouldn't let him. I don't have many good memories of my mother; my mind locked them away to save itself from being broken by what she did to me. I only recently started to remember more about her from _before_ , what little I could since I was so young. Seeing Arf again and your pregnancy is bringing back more of the past from my jumbled memory."

Unsure of what to say but sensing Fate had more to say Nanoha asked, "What can you remember?"

A trembling hand touched Nanoha's swollen stomach and Fate said, "I remember her singing to me," then her voice broke. Swallowing back the lump in her throat she continued," Alicia would always drop off to sleep without any issues but I couldn't. She would hold me against her and sing to me. I remember feeling so safe and loved when she did that and my mind would finally slow down enough to fall asleep."

Licking her lips and taking a steadying breath Fate sang softly:

Lucciola lucciola vien da me: (Firefly, firefly come to me:)

ti darò il pan del Re, (I'll give you some King's bread,)

pan del Re e della Regina. (Some King and Queen's bread.)

Lucciola, lucciola, vien vicina. (Firefly, firefly, come near to  
me.")

The children in Nanoha's womb settled as if they could hear the song and were listening. Pulling Fate closer she kissed her forehead and said in a tear choked voice, "I love you Fate-chan."

Closing her eyes Fate let herself be loved and felt as if some of the ancient hurt inside had eased. Mentally she thanked whatever divine being that brought Nanoha to her then relaxed back into a soft doze.

~"~"~"~"~

The sound of giggling at a distance and the coolness of the bed around her let Nanoha know they had visitors. Holding the sheet to her body she looked over to the door and could see a pair of blonde heads. Smiling she watched the pair for a moment, Vivio was nearly as tall as Fate now and both held themselves with a confidence that hadn't been there a year ago. Lost in her appreciation of her wife's form she was snapped out of her reverie when Fate closed the door and turned to look at her.

Warm burgundy eyes took in the figure lying on the bed with so much love they might have glowed with the strength of the feeling. As the tall blonde figure padded across the space between them her smile took on a more heated nature. Sitting up Nanoha felt a thrill rush through her as Fate leaned over. Their faces came closer together and instinctively she closed her eyes waiting for the kiss.

Instead a voice teased her ear, "Time to get up sleepyhead. Vivio brought over our clothes for the day. We have to hurry and get dressed, everyone is eager to get to the beach."

The small flick of a tongue on the shell of her ear wasn't appreciated since Fate immediately withdrew from pouncing distance. In fact Fate was carefully staying outside of Nanoha's range as the pregnant woman grumbling crawled out of bed. Sapphire eyes watched her prey carefully searching for a gap in her defensives but when Fate removed her robe to stand naked in front of her the sight froze her. Then she was subjected to a reverse striptease where her wife dressed herself in a manner so provocative it left her stunned.

Kissing the tips of her fingers Fate then waved them at her wife before saying, "I am going to make some breakfast for us. Call out if you need anything."

The disappearing figure was so different from the woman who had fallen asleep beside her Nanoha would have questioned it but if not for the evil gleam in her wife's eyes. Fate was now playing a very dangerous game with her. Like in the office Fate was now in full tease mode, if she wasn't careful she could end up being eaten alive. Her pride wouldn't allow her to take this teasing lying down, Fate would learn just how much a devil she really was.

~"~"~"~

Escaping to the kitchen to make breakfast without being captured by her demonic angel had to be a miracle. With a paranoid eye on the door Fate cooked a quick meal that could be eaten on the go. Packing up the food and checking her phone to read the flurry of messages sent to her. Most were from Alicia demanding they hurry up and to stop being relentless rabbits because the beach was waiting for them. She had a few from Einhart confirming she packed all the items Fate had requested and a small nudge for them to hurry. There was one from Vivio which just contained the "hurry up" emoticon and the word "PLEASE."

Nanoha entering the kitchen meant the pregnant woman had dashed through her dressing and was going to try and "fight back." Preempting any attempts to unbalance her Fate picked up a fork and scooped up a bite of scrambled eggs. Holding out the fork and giving her wife her patented puppy eyes look she said, "Ahhh."

Every ounce of free will Nanoha once contained melted into a puddle of goo. Opening her mouth she let Fate feed her the bite of eggs before a rasher of bacon was politely offered. Taking the piece of crispy deliciousness Nanoha tried to think of all the ways she could use the thing to harass her wife when Fate again leaned in. Giving her a soft kiss then nuzzling their cheeks she said, "There's more where that came from. Follow me if you're still hungry."

With the now covered containers of food Fate calmly sauntered out of the kitchen. Nanoha had to grip the countertop for a second as her knees felt weak. Her diabolical wife was going to tease her to death at this rate. Depending on what the drive was like it was probable that by the time they arrived Nanoha was going to be holding on to her sanity by her fingertips. Only the mischievous blonde could affect her so profoundly.

~"~"~"~

Walking out of the house the first thing Fate saw was her sister leaning against the front of her car. The wicked gleam in her eyes caused her twin to growl menacingly, "Not a word!"

Grinning at the defensiveness and giving her sister a mock salute she swung into her Bugatti Veyron where a waiting Carim had been sitting patiently. The good doctor gave her sister-in-law-to-be a wave before the vehicle roared into life and pulled away. Turning to her own car she could see Vivio leaning on the open rear driver side door of her Chevy Equinox while Einhart had been sitting with her legs out of the vehicle reading but the instant Fate stepped out she swung her legs into the SUV and began buckling up.

The worried look in Vivio's eyes since her mother wasn't glommed onto Fate like a second skin was relieved with a gentle, "She's coming, get settled."

As Vivio got comfortable and Fate handed off the food containers Nanoha came out the door. She had taken a few minutes longer to get out of the house because of a strange package left behind in the kitchen. She instantly recognized the neat but hasty penmanship of Alicia and wondered how Fate could have missed this illicit mail service. Opening the box she thought that her sister-in-law might have gone a step too far or just earned herself the best Christmas gift ever.

The confident grin on Nanoha's face spoke of challenge and her readiness to battle when faced with her wife once again. Seeing Nanoha carrying a bag she hadn't had earlier also set off her alarm bells. With a quick peck on the lips Nanoha gave Fate a soft pat on the butt before saying teasingly, "Hurry up Fate-chan, the beach is waiting!"

Getting in Fate settled into the driver's seat and a look of worried concentration wrinkled her brow. Nanoha was looking too calm and in control after all her earlier teasing. If she was going to get her way later then the wife needed to be a ball of restlessness by the time they arrived at their destination. The feeling of Nanoha's hand covering her own and her thumb lightly teasing her knuckles as it rested on the stick shift was giving her goose flesh. Taking a calming breath she decided to up the game by entwining their fingers and pulling the naughty hand to her lips for a kiss. She then turned their hands and placed a kiss on Nanoha's wrist and palm causing her wife's breath to hitch and a small shiver of lust to rush through her.

There was a giggle from the back seat and a shushing noise which let Fate know that at least one of their passengers was entertained by the "show" they were putting on. It was a frightening thought that she had completely forgotten the teens in the back seat and was so focused on the woman beside her. Loosening her grip from her wife's she tried to refocus on what she was supposed to be doing, driving. From the corner of her eye she could see her pouting passenger stick her tongue out at _their_ daughter which increased the giggling.

With a mental shake Fate turned her attention back on the road again where she noted the Starks' Renault Espace mini-van and Alicia's Veyron were idling on the driveway right before the main road began. Almost immediately Alicia gunned her speed machine and bolted onto the thoroughfare and in the direction of their promised oasis. Norbert much more calmly pulled out leaving Fate to carefully check for traffic before following their lead.

It wasn't long before the grumbling of Nanoha's stomach made it clear it was time to feed the monster or someone will get hurt. Vivio handed two of the four containers forward as directed by Fate. When opened all her passengers were pleased by the contents. Scrambled eggs, bacon and french toast sliced into strips. There was even a little well of maple syrup for dipping the french toast and in Nanoha's case her bacon. The auburn haired woman's sweet tooth was ramping up the further her pregnancy progressed.

In a blink of an eye Nanoha's meal was devoured, eating Fate's cooking was treat that she couldn't resist. Knowing now what was in the final container Nanoha opened it and appeared to have decided to use this as an opportunity to tease her wife. Picking up a piece of bacon she called out sweetly, "Fate-chan say 'ahh.'"

It took all of Fate's self-control and years of being able to hide her emotions to prevent the blush that wanted to flood her face. Nanoha was in her peripheral vision and the sight of her wife making a cute "ahhh" face as she offered the bite of food was enough to make her want to hug the stuffing out of her lover. The thought, 'TOO CUTE!' screamed through her mind.

Knowing if she left even the slightest sign of her faltering to Nanoha's ploy of cuteness she'd fail in her plan Fate girded her loins for battle. Leaning over she quickly took the bite bacon on offer and letting her tongue briefly flicker over the tips of Nanoha's fingers to capture any stray crumbs.

Everyone in the SUV could practically feel the heat now flooding Nanoha's cheeks from this blatant retaliatory tease. In an effort to remove the focus on her wife's predicament Fate took the bento box and sat it in her lap, closed. With a tone of finality she said, "I will wait a while before eating more, it could cause a dangerous distraction."

The next hour was filled with only the sound of the radio as the teens napped cuddled together in the backseat. Apparently neither had gotten much sleep due to a combination of excitement and fear. Excited over the prospect of going to the beach as a family and fearful that the event was cancelled due to Fate's and/or Nanoha's emotional unrest. Now that they were on their way they had relaxed and instinctively reached out to each other in their sleep. Quick glances back was all Fate could spare on watching the pair but the sight was heart warming.

Nanoha looked back and felt a spike of not so much jealousy but the desire to be similarly snuggled up with the one she loves. The bucket front seats would not allow her to get any closer to Fate and her wife was now driving with both hands on the wheel. The drive to the coast would take a little under three hours which was why they had set out that morning at first light. With another two hours on the tollway her lack of a Fate pillow was _upsetting_.

Sensing Nanoha needed a break and also needing to stop and fuel up Fate pulled off at rest station. The feeling of the vehicle slowing woke Einhart and she looked about blearily trying to work out where they were. The mumbling nuzzling blonde curled into her quickly had her conscious of her surroundings or at least to the fact that the girl was now rubbing her cheek against her breast. The squeak of surprise had Nanoha turning to see what was going on and seeing the blush on Einhart's face while her daughter sleepily snuggled against her made the pregnant woman laugh.

The 'nyahaha' caught Vivio's attention and opening her eyes she realized what she was doing. Turning as red as her girlfriend she could only be thankful her mother found the situation funny and not a cause to separate them. Clearing her throat Fate said, "I'm going to fuel up, why don't you all stretch your legs for a few minutes."

There was a scramble to exit the SUV and the girls made a beeline for the gas station. Coming around the vehicle Nanoha leaned against the front wheelwell as she watched her wife pump the fuel. She was dressed in loose linen pants, a billowing cotton blouse and a pair of white leather sandals. The look was casual and relatively cool for the warm weather while still covering her completely. While Fate appeared to be in complete control and calm Nanoha searched for the minute signs of stress and found them.

The fine lines of stress and the stiffness to her shoulders were dead giveaways of Fate's anxiety. Thinking of what was waiting for them at the end of their journey she could understand why Fate wasn't exactly comfortable. Even using the swimming pool at the Testarossa home wasn't something Fate had grown accustomed too. So far it had been more evening and late night swims for them which more often than not ended up with them pressed into a corner making love.

When in stressful situations Fate needed physical reassurance and in her current hormonal state that usually meant things were going to get _heated._ Clearly Fate hoped her blatant flirting since this morning would distract her and possibly earn her a reprieve from the beach excursion. While the idea of holing up with her wife for an entire weekend sounded nice it wouldn't do her any good to to hide away for the whole time they planned to stay on the coast. Perhaps they could slowly ease her into the experience, a midnight swim could be the perfect first step.

Once Fate hung up the gas pump Nanoha moved in closer to her wife and giving her a hug she whispered, "I love you Fate-chan."

Hugging her wife back Fate felt some of her anxiety dampen. After the stress of the day before and the constant strain of worrying over Nanoha's health and safety this quiet moment was like an oasis in the desert. She never wanted to disappoint her family and so she accepted this trip had to happen. That didn't mean her devious mind wasn't coming up with excuses for why she wouldn't need to leave the beach house once they arrived. Making her wife horny as hell and becoming her willing captive in the master suite had been the best plan she could come up with that wouldn't derail the outing for everyone else.

A soft kiss to Fate's neck sent a shiver down her spine and awoke a heat in the pit of her stomach. Almost hearing a purr coming from her wife now Nanoha pressed herself closer letting the feeling of full breasts and the roundness of her belly pressing against the solid form of her lover. Between them the primeval instincts to claim and protect flowed like lava, it was only the fact that they were out in the open that stopped Nanoha from teasing her wife further. When she felt Fate's grip tighten Nanoha laughed sweetly before pulling away.

Looking up into burgundy eyes Nanoha noted the heated look of love and desire in them. The idea that they wouldn't need to hit the beach immediately upon arrival was definitely growing stronger. The teens would have enough adult supervision with Norbert, Alicia and Carim watching out for them. There was also plenty of time for Fate to build up to walking the beach in her swimsuit. They were in no rush to get back so extending the trip wouldn't be a problem.

The feeling of one of the twins kicking her bladder made Nanoha wince. It was time to go inside and relieve the growing pressure, linking arms she lead them towards the building. Once inside the gas station Fate looked around for the girls while Nanoha used the restroom. The two were looking over a newsstand with Einhart reading the covers before translating them for Vivio. The appreciative way the blonde looked at her partner for her linguistic skills made the green haired girl happy Fate had convinced her to learn French.

Picking up a few drinks and snacks with the girls Fate wandered the aisles for a few minutes stretching out her legs and trying to organize her mind. Fear had been her constant companion since childhood. Nanoha had banished it for a short while then it had wormed its way back into her mind with the nightmare of losing her. Losing the one person who could make her feel complete and whole, who could give her the family she always wanted. The various nightmares that had haunted her had death coming in various forms but the worst was the one that came at her own hands.

Facing down the portraits of her mother the night before with Nanoha had settled some of those fears. Nanoha would guarantee she never became the monster in her nightmares. If the madness her mother had tried to instill in her ever came to fruition she would be secured and treated. The parallels between herself and her mother didn't mean she was doomed to the same fate. Alicia would never turn a blind eye to her descent into madness and her spouse would never walk away to let her maim their child.

Of course not all her fears and demons could be laid to rest so easily, today she would be exposed to the harsh daylight of the world if she didn't come up with a way to avoid it. Exposing herself to Nanoha had been difficult and only her fever had given her the courage to do it so boldly. The Starks had known her for years but had only ever seen the smallest hints of her scarring. How would they react to her? These were people she loved and considered family but who had also been kept at arms distance from fear of rejection.

The hesitation all three sisters had shown at the thought of being exposed to her body had hurt. Not because she lusted after any of them but because she hated seeing the fear and disgust in their eyes. It reinforced all the ugly words her mother had once spoke to her, she was a monster that no one would ever be able to love. Alicia, Einhart, Nanoha and Vivio could all touch her without flinching or fear and they all loved her deeply in their own ways. But these girls could hurt her and reopen old wounds, perhaps it was a bad idea to include them in this first outing.

Seeing Fate wandering around with that distant look in her eyes Nanoha knew she had to do something to relieve her tension. It was no secret that Fate was uncomfortable exposing herself in front of people she cared about. Her reckless flaunting of her body only came out when she wanted to intimidate someone. Nanoha suspected that her being allowed to see her scars the first time had more to do with Fate being tired of hiding than trust earned. If she had responded poorly that day they might never have had a chance at a relationship.

Thinking over options on what to do once they arrived Nanoha walked over to her group of lovely ladies. Alicia's gift spoke volumes of her knowledge about Fate's insecurities. Vivio and Einhart would understand if they took a little time to relax before heading out onto the beach. It would be the Starks who would pressure her the most and where the most anxiety was stemming from. It would be her job to deflect and be greedy, when they arrived Fate would be all hers.

~"~"~"~

The next leg of the trip was driven by Nanoha, her insistence on this made it impossible for Fate to refuse her. It also gave her a chance to eat her breakfast and take a small nap. The nap ended with her waking up to a kiss. Feeling the soft lips of her lover on her own made the moment almost fairytale-esque. The curse she had been living with was dispelled with those gentle kisses. Moving sleepily into the kiss to deepen it and feel more of Nanoha's warmth only resulted in her wife groaning before pulling away.

Whimpering she tried to reach out to capture her fleeing prey, "Come back."

Blushing Nanoha replied, "You have to get up now Fate-chan. I promise you'll get more kisses later."

They were at another rest stop and more than a few people had seen their kiss which she had meant to be a quick peck. Fate's instinctive response to pull her in and deepen their kisses had taken it from PG to nearly R. Seeing the blush on Nanoha's face Fate looked around and blanched at the sight of the gawking crowd around them. It didn't take long for the various looks and gestures they were receiving had her blushing too.

Giving Fate's hand a squeeze Nanoha said, "Come on sleepyhead let's stretch our legs for a bit."

Undoing her seat belt and climbing out of the SUV Fate tried to avoid the obvious stares of the crowd. The feeling of their arms linking and Nanoha rubbing the tension out of her forearm helped her take her mind off their would-be audience. Her sensitivity to being watched was growing but there was no way she'd ever push Nanoha away. To do something so foolish would only hurt them both and leave her feeling even more exposed.

Walking around the green open space of the rest stop she looked up at the blue sky. The sun had fully risen now and the heat was starting to build. By the time they arrived the weather would be perfect for a swim and there would be no excuse allowing her to escape. Her dark mood that was growing was halted by Nanoha leaning into her as they walked. Looking over she could see there was still a faint blush coloring her wife's face.

Kissing her forehead Fate asked, "What is it?"

Pulling them down a path with some bushes and out of the line of sight of the other pedestrians Nanoha kissed her wife properly. When she pulled away Fate was breathless and holding on tight to her.

Lovingly brushing Fate's bangs out of her eyes Nanoha requested, "When we get to the coast do you think we could rest up together for a bit before we hit the beach?"

The realization that Nanoha was asking this in order to give her an excuse to avoid the beach hit her hard. All her teasing behavior had been seen through and her weakness had been discovered.

Looking away Fate replied, "We really shouldn't. The girls will want to hit the beach right away and it would disappoint them if we didn't join them."

Cupping Fate's face Nanoha caught her wife's full attention, "I want to spend some quiet time with just the two of us when we arrive Fate-chan. There is no need to worry about the girls being disappointed, we will spend time with them on the beach but only when you're ready."

She wanted to argue and say she was ready but the truth was she was terrified of stepping out into the broad daylight in her swimsuit. Sure her family had seen her naked in the baths now but those places kept their lights pretty dim. Nanoha might have convinced her to keep the lights on when they had sex but even that wasn't like this bright sunlight which wouldn't allow her to hide. It was beginning to feel like the sun was her own personal spotlight and it would only take one of the Starks girls to show their disgust to change the tide of the others' acceptance.

Trembling now Fate closed her eyes as tears began to leak from her eyes. The feeling of Nanoha kissing them away made her grasp tighten. Ashamed of her fears because deep inside she knew there was no way Nanoha would ever reject her but still this panic persisted. This beautiful woman had touched and kissed each of her scars. There was nothing about her body or mind that Nanoha reviled.

Allowing Fate's face to hide in the crook of her neck Nanoha made quieting sounds and rubbed her back, "Shhh Fate-chan, it's okay."

Shaking her head Fate sobbed, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

Turning her head Nanoha gave her wife's ear a soft nip which made her jump back in surprise. Smiling at the shocked look Nanoha said, "You have no reason to feel guilty Fate-chan. Just think, a year ago none of the people with us could have imaged you even agreeing to a trip to the beach, let alone stepping on one in a bathing suit. Even if you never get in the water you sitting on the sand with me as we watch the girls play will be a wonderful memory."

Brow furrowing Fate said, "I...I just don't want to disappoint any one. An...and I am scared."

Running her hands up Fate's arms, giving tense muscles a tender squeeze as reached strong shoulders and a slender neck Nanoha asked, "What is it my love?"

Looking down at Nanoha tummy as she rubbed circles across it in an attempt to calm herself Fate admitted, "You know I normally don't care what people think or say about me. But today will be the first time any of the Starks will see my scars on display. This will be the first time anyone will have really seen me in the bright sunlight. What if…"

Fate didn't get to say anything more, the kiss that stopped her was tender and reassuring. The soft hands that rubbed her back eased her tension more until she was melting around her wife.

Pressing their foreheads together as she broke the kiss Nanoha gave her wife a mock glare, "I love you. Einhart, Vivio, Alicia, and even Carim all love you. I don't know the Starks very well but I do know _if_ they are uncomfortable around you it won't because they are disgusted _by you_ but by what happened _to you_. Every single person coming on this trip with us today admires you for your strength and unconquerable compassion. The fact that you not only survived that abuse but turned out to be the wonderful person you are today is a miracle. You are a miracle."

Concentrating on gleaming sapphires full of love for her Fate whispered, "You are the real miracle. I don't know what I would do without you."

Giving her wife one more quick peck on the lips Nanoha replied with a wink, "Lucky you, I never plan on leaving you so you'll never have to find out."

~"~"~"~

The last leg of the trip went by surprisingly fast and while still nervous Fate didn't feel like she was facing the executioner. The two other vehicles parked in the driveway let her know that the rest of the family had already arrived and were likely chomping at the bit to hit the beach. Opening the door she was hit with a wave of sound, Levi and Dearche were arguing, again.

That the blue haired girl was wearing her swimsuit already and was flinging her arms around like a child in a tantrum made it hard to reconcile her "adult" appearance with her childish behavior. Dearche was wearing a sundress and an evil smirk which made it clear she was having a ton of fun antagonizing her sister.

Seeing the main family had arrived silence fell and Levi immediately threw herself at Fate with a whine, "Faaaa~ate, Dearche is being a bully."

Looking down on the mini-Alicia Fate felt a bit more of her nerves settle, Levi's bratty behavior reinforcing the knowledge that she would always be seen as the girl's _good_ big sister. Giving the girl a gentle squeeze she then turned her attention to Dearche with a brow raised questioningly. Under the silent stare Dearche squirmed for a moment before saying, "Gee-ah, fine… whatever. Levin grab your stuff and we can go swimming."

Surprised by this Fate asked, "You aren't going to wait for us to get ready?"

Alicia broke in at this point, "Care-bear and I plan on finding a nice spot to set up the picnic tables for lunch but I told the girls they could go swimming for a bit. That will give you some time to relax before needing to hit the beach."

Einhart and Vivio turned their attention to their elders and were happy to see Nanoha give them a quick nod of approval. Both girls had their swimsuits on under their shorts and tanks so just whipped out their towels and some sunblock before joining the group now heading out. Fate suddenly felt very foolish, she should have realized her family wouldn't pressure her or make her feel guilty. The quiet in the house almost seemed like it was laughing at her.

The feeling of Nanoha's hand taking her own broke her out the reflective thoughts. Being pulled down for a kiss and a whispered request for a tour gave her the first flicker of hope that this trip could actually be enjoyable. Leading her wife upstairs she could see Alicia had set aside the master bedroom for them. Smile growing she lead her wife into the room for a bit of rest and relaxation.

~"~"~"~

Down on the beach the teens banded together and headed into the surf with loud screams of laughter when the cool water hit their bodies. As the eldest Stern stood back and watched them and keep an eye of the abandoned items on the beach.

This lasted all of three minutes before Alicia carrying a folding picnic table nudged the young woman towards the water saying, "Get in there. You're here to enjoy yourself."

Blushing Stern pulled off her own sundress and carefully entered the water a fair distance away from sisters. Not that it saved her since Dearche immediately noticed the movement and in a rare moment of fellowship with her younger sister teamed up with her to splash their elder sister. Within seconds the trio were engaged in a full on war splashing and pushing each other over in the cold English Channel's waters.

The three adults on the beach watched the young women for a few moments before Carim said, "Remarkable, I'm still amazed that those three are sisters."

Norbert laughed as he shifted the large canvas canopy on his shoulder, "I could have said the same about Fate and Alicia when they were growing up. Two girls who were more different couldn't have been found. But just like with my girls it was clear they love one another from seeing the way they interacted with each other."

Alicia smiled as she turned her head to look back at the beach house but didn't say a word as she shifted the table in her hands. Walking on she found the perfect place to set up their camp. Resting her load to the side she went to help Norbert and Carim as they unpacked the frame for the canopy. Between the three of them they were able to get the canvas roof put up quickly before heading back to the van to pull out the second table and folding chairs. It wasn't much longer before everything was arranged neatly and the abandoned clothing on the beach was folded on chairs waiting their owner's return.

Norbert took a seat and a book out before sitting back with a sigh. His girls were safely occupied and he had no other duties for at least an hour or two. It was now time for him to catch up on his favorite spy novel. Seeing this Alicia took a hold of Carim's hand and pulled her towards a rocky outcrop. There were formations bracketing either side of this small stretch of beach making it private for the family's use.

Sandaled feet got wet in the cool surf before Alicia pulled herself up one large boulder then reached down to hoist her lover up in front of her. Pulling the older woman back against her Alicia sighed into the comforting warmth. In a few short days they would be married in a small ceremony and the stress was beginning to build. It would surprise most to know Alicia was the one who wanted to keep the affair as small and intimate as possible. While normally the burgundy eyed woman wouldn't hesitate to make a spectacle of herself in this instance she wanted it clear she was taking her vows very seriously. This was no joke or flight of fancy.

Rubbing Alicia's cold hands Carim turned her head to kiss her fiancee's cheek. Then with a teasing smirk she shifted a little so she could kiss along Alicia's smooth jaw and then down her neck. It was with a number of annoyed grunts of dismay that Carim tried to find a more comfortable position to continue her assault before the hard stone dissuaded her from continuing.

Pulling back she sighed, "Why are we out here when we could be inside?"

Eyes shifting down and a blush spreading across her face Alicia said, "What's wrong with being out here?"

Poking her fiancée Carim said pointedly, "There is a perfectly comfortable bed in that house but instead we are out here necking like a couple of teenagers. Why?"

Honestly Carim knew why, Alicia might like to pretend she was cosmopolitan woman of the world that couldn't be ruffled by anything. In reality she had no wish to hear her sister and Nanoha going at it, let alone really think about what went on between the pair. Still that was no reason for them to be out here scrambling around on the rocks. It was time Alicia started thinking about what was best for not only Carim but herself too. Living in Fate's shadow was no longer an option for her lover.

The mumbled hems and haws Alicia spouted were rather cute but not really useful so Carim gave her a kiss to shut her up before saying, "Why don't we take a ride into town for a bit. We need to do some shopping and maybe we can find someplace nice to be alone for a while."

Giving her fiancée a curious look Alicia asked, "What about the girls?"

Sliding back off the rock Carim rolled her eyes, "Norbert has everything under control. Besides us hiding over here doesn't exactly add to the parental oversight."

With a wave and a quick shout of, "Be back, gonna get some supplies," the pair was able to escape without the teens bogging them down with requests."

~"~"~"~

With the adult supervision down to a minimum the sisters turned their attention to the dating duo. Dearche slipped behind Vivio and despite being so much shorter was able to pick up the girl before flinging them both into the water. For all of a second the trio was left standing stared at each other before Levin let out a war cry and sent a massive wave of water at Einhart. Stern was normally the most level headed of the group but when Vivio regained her feet she decided to strike back at full power soaking the eldest sister completely.

There was something very strange about engaging in a water fight with people who looked so much like her parents and their friend. Strange but fun since there was no way she'd ever get away with doing half these things with them. Einhart felt the same but the fact that she could now work out all her annoyance with the blue haired girl superseded that. There was no way she was ever going to let the purple eyed girl steal her Vivio.

After ten minutes of the increasingly devious and outrageous attacks Stern called for a break. The sisters were finding themselves spending more and more time being dunked than doing the dunking. Mostly this was due to Einhart who seemed be a one-woman dervish. Vivio was proving to be a good distraction allowing the taller girl a chance to outflank the sisters. Exhausted and desperate for the chance to take more than one breath not ruined by a face full of water the two younger siblings fully supported this plea for a ceasefire.

Watching the siblings collapse into chairs near their father Einhart felt some of the tension in her shoulders relax. Maybe now she could have a few minutes to enjoy Vivio's company without fear of one of the idiot sisters ruining the moment. Taking her hand Einhart walked them further down the beach. They were barely within sight and far enough that it would be difficult to understand what someone was saying if called. This was exactly what Einhart wanted since she could only imagine the incredibly inappropriate things Dearche would be yelling if given a chance.

Sitting on the warm sand Einhart pulled Vivio down and happily hugged the girl to her. The feeling of so much naked flesh was creating a warmth inside her that was going to make it hard to control herself. As Vivio squirmed in closer before leaning back with her head tilted to rest on Einhart's shoulder leaving her neck exposed enticingly. Without realizing what she was doing the dark eyed girl leaned forward and was kissing the soft skin. It was only when Vivio's hands began to massage her thighs and the moans coming from the delicious throat she was now nibbling and sucking on grew from mumbled moans to full on desperate pleas that Einhart pulled back.

There was now a red mark on Vivio's neck that there would be no hiding. Horror and embarrassment filled Einhart as she tried to pull back only for Vivio to turn over and press the panicking girl into the sand. Her jewel like eyes were dark with lustful need and the way the blonde was pressing their hips together was making Einhart's thought process shudder to a stop. The kiss she received made it clear Vivio wasn't in the least angry over being marked and that she was planning to reciprocate the action.

The feeling of Vivio's lips on her neck was both scary and erotic. She liked it when Vivio left love bites in places no one would see but what she was doing now couldn't be hidden. Being publically claimed in front of their family and friends was enough to make her want to scream, 'Slow down,' but she couldn't form the words. Her body and heart both wanted this badly, there was no way they were going to let her stupid brain ruin the moment.

The feeling of Vivio's tongue teasing the bright red bruise made the heat between her legs throb. It was with an audible whimper and clutching hands that she fought against Vivio pulling away. The trademark Takamachi giggle had her pouting and feeling incredibly dissatisfied.

With a gentle poke to her cheek Vivio said, "You are so cute."

The pout melted immediately into a blush and embarrassment as rational thought filled her head again. The red mark on Vivio's neck appeared to be a thousand times worse now that she was looking at it clearly.

Seeing the look of guilt build up Vivio said, "I don't know how bad it is, but it can't be worst than what I did." Then she gave her girlfriend a teasing wink before taking off for the water again.

For a minute Einhart sat on the sand and tried to wrap her mind around what had just happened. The tender ache on her neck made her reach up and palpate the flesh. It didn't take long to realized Vivio must have left a hickey the size of a half dollar. The devious blonde had done this to ensure all teasing for lewd behavior came her way instead of Einhart. Vivio was very protective of her girlfriend and did her best to ensure the only person teasing the green haired girl was _her._

Sighing Einhart climbed to her feet and started towards the laughing and waving blonde in the water. Looking over at the sitting group further down the beach she was surprised to see two new figures under the canopy. The realization that Fate had actually set foot on the beach distracted her for a moment and made her question if she should head over to say hello.

Turning to look for Vivio to wave her in she scanned the water. The rocking waves that they had ridden earlier no longer appeared so innocuous. Calling out Vivio's name she waded out into the shallows hoping the blonde would jump out as a prank. When she got as far as hip deep and no blonde surfaced and the roiling tide was growing in strength Einhart felt the cold hand of terror squeeze her heart. Diving under the water she prayed she hadn't wasted too much time.

The swimming lessons Einhart had been giving her meant Vivio was alright in their calm pool and comfortable splashing in the shallows on the beach. Fool heartedly she had thought to swim out a bit deeper so she could sneak around Einhart then pull the taller girl back into the water. Instead she felt the pull of the ocean drag her down and out draining her of strength and confidence. Panic was beginning to grip her as her lungs and muscles burned in a struggle to keep her head above water as she was engulfed by wave after wave. Then there was a strong arm wrapping around her waist and she was being dragged to the surface coughing.

There was the confusing sound of people yelling and a ringing in her ears as she was now hoisted up and carried onto shore. The person carrying her was shaking from exertion but when other hands tried to relieve her weight the grip just grew stronger.

The roughness and stress in Einhart's voice wasn't like anything she'd heard before, growling out, "I've got her."

It was only when they got to the canopy covered area that Einhart finally relinquished her hold and set her down on a chair. But that didn't mean she moved out of touching distance, the green haired girl collapsed at her feet with one arm now wrapped possessively around one of her legs. Both girls had towels wrapped around them and were fussed over by their guardians. At first all Vivio could focus on was Einhart's bent head and how her shoulders were trembling.

The sound of her name being spoken with the gentle touch on her face didn't faze her, all she wanted at that moment was to see Einhart's face. Was she angry with her? Einhart had warned her the night before not to try to swim in the deeper waters.

Then the gentle, "Vivio, sweetie… Vi. Say something. Are you okay?" devolved into her mother's panicked high pitched tones, "Fate, we need to take her to the hospital. She's in shock. Oh god this is my fault for not teaching her to swim properly, for not watching her. I am a horrible mother."

Hearing that gave Vivio the focus she needed to look up at her mother before shakily grabbing hold of the woman for a hug. The feeling of her hug being returned and whispered words of comfort helped calm her more than anything she could have gotten at the hospital.

Fate watched the scene carefully, Einhart wasn't letting go of Vivio and while Nanoha was rightly upset she knew now wasn't the time to force the pair apart. Speaking softly Fate suggested, "Nanoha, I think the girls need some rest and quiet. Neither of them are hurt, just shaken up."

With a gentle grip Fate helped Einhart to her feet before saying, "Einhart let's take Vivio inside. You two should get a warm shower then rest for a bit. While you get cleaned up I'll make you a hot to drink and something to eat. Don't worry about anyone bothering you, I want you two to rest."

With Fate supporting Einhart and Nanoha helping with Vivio the family headed inside. Once indoors Fate directed Nanoha to the kitchen. It might seem cruel to separate mother and daughter at the moment but right now Vivio didn't need her mother, she needed her lover. If the pair was ever going to move from a childhood romance to an adult relationship they needed to learn to depend on each other for emotional support in times of trouble. As frightening as it might be for mother and child, there will inevitably come a day when mama can't be there. Fate hoped they could at least, when that moment came, have each other.

Fate leaving the pair in their bedroom with its attached bath it felt like the room shrunk as soon as the door closed. Still trying to work out all the conflicting emotions rioting through her Einhart pushed Vivio into the bath unable to really speak but needing to keep the blonde in view. Turning on the shower she was careful not to run it too hot. With her body still shaking and slightly numb it would be too easy to burn both herself and Vivio.

As Einhart adjusted the water Vivio watched her and couldn't help noticing the girl was tense, muscles twitching from strain and nerves. Her lower body was still covered in sand and her hair was a knotted mess. When Einhart finally turned to her her dark eyes looked like those of a trapped animal, large and scared. Stepping closer she tried to calm her down with a smile and kiss.

Of all the bubbling emotions playing havoc with her mind there was only one that mattered, her love for Vivio. Feeling soft lips press against her own and the soft hand brushing up her arm all she could think was, 'I nearly lost her. I can't lose her. Mine. My Vivio.'

It was with a squeak of surprise that Vivio felt herself being picked up and carried into the shower. The warm water washing away the sand and salty residue on their skin. Shaking hands fumbled with the ties of her swimsuit top then it was being tossed to the side. Einhart wasn't letting up for a second, hands and mouth worshiped every inch they could reach. The feeling of Einhart's mouth on her breasts was a shock. They had touched each other but never this intimately.

The feeling of her girlfriend's tongue teasing her nipple made it difficult to maintain her upright position. Sensing this Einhart pushed her against the wall using her own body to support her and cause the heat developing between them grow exponentially. Moving from each breast until both were aching with tenderness and Vivio was sure she had cum from the unrelenting attention. Her center ached and was desperate for a single touch from her dark eyed lover.

Pushing Einhart off before she went insane Vivio kicked off her bottoms. The stunned look on Einhart's face as she stared at her now naked girlfriend was actually very empowering. Stepping forward to close the gap she had formed with one hand on her girlfriend's shoulder she pushed her down. Losing balance Einhart fell back into the spray of the shower and now sat clumsily on the floor.

It was only an instant later that her blonde idol was moving to straddle her. They were kissing again and this time Vivio was using the opportunity to remove Einhart's top. Once it was gone she moved so her tender peaks rubbed against Einhart's. The feeling of slick smooth skin rubbing made her moan and press closer.

Shifting again Vivio pushed the green haired beauty under her to the ground. Seeing her normally calm and collected girlfriend now a panting mess sent a thrill of power through her. Repaying Einhart for her teasing was every bit as enjoyable as experiencing it first hand. The glorious moans of pleasure as she sucked and teased her perfect breasts was enough to make her feel drunk. The feeling of Einhart's blunt nails scraping her scalp as she begged and pleaded for mercy, for Vivio to relieve the ache building up to a crescendo of blinding need.

It was only after she was sure the teasing she had given Einhart was equal if not more pleasure than she had received that she finally pulled away. It was clear they both needed something more but knowledge that this wasn't the _right_ moment to go _all the way_ stopped them. Now was more about giving and receiving comfort, holding on to the person most important to them.

Removing Einhart's bottoms she shushed the girl as she made worried whimpers. Lying down so their bodies pressed against each other Vivio pressed a thigh between Einhart's legs and had to strangle a noise of pleasured relief when the girl copied her pose. Rocking against each other as they kissed and held one another tightly it didn't take long for the friction to bring them to release.

Holding each other under the spray they let their heartbeats regain their more measured pace. Giggling at the strangeness of the moment Vivio's words were muffled in Einhart's neck, "You can have no idea how long I've wanted to do that."

Sighing Einhart replied, "Probably not as long as I have. I've been dreaming of doing this kind of thing with you since we first became friends. You can have no idea how hard it was not to just kiss you senseless from day one."

Blinking at this admission Vivio asked, "Then why didn't you ask me out? I was so worried I was misreading the situation since you acted flirty with everyone. If Rio-chan hadn't pushed me to admit my feelings who knows if we'd have ever become a couple."

Tucking back a blonde lock of hair Einhart answered honestly, "Because you mean too much to me. I was scared to lose you. I have liked girls for as long as I can remember but you never mentioned any preference. I've had girls flirt with me and tell me they want me to be their _boyfriend_ but the second I make a move towards kissing them or taking them seriously they run away. I wouldn't have been able to survive that if you rejected me."

Considering this Vivio asked, "Is that why you have been so slow to move our relationship forward? I could tell you wanted more but no matter what I did you never wanted to do more than kiss or let me feel you up. Every time I tried to move for more you'd stop us."

Pushing them up Einhart turned off the water before grabbing the shampoo, squirting a dollop out she started washing Vivio's hair before answering, "I didn't want us to break up. It is stupid but I have this completely irrational fear that if we ever go all the way then that will be it."

Turning to look over her shoulder Vivio asked, "Do you think I will leave you afterwards?"

Picking out a tangle Einhart said quietly, "No, and it isn't like I would suddenly be tired of being with you. It's just in my head that's how things go. Since moving in with Fate and Alicia that's all I've seen. Alicia would play these games with women, they thought they could tame her by holding out and she'd just tease them. She would occasionally take them out then ignore them until they decided a one-night stand was better than nothing. I think I was scared that I'd end up doing that to you. But the thing is, I couldn't… the idea of breaking up with you, of losing you… it terrifies me."

In the quiet that followed this admission Einhart rinsed out the soft blonde locks and pinned it up. Before being able to reach for the body soap she felt Vivio move behind her and saw her squeeze out some shampoo. The feeling of Vivio's hands washing her long tangled hair made her want to melt into goo.

It didn't take long for Einhart to relax into her touch, after a few minutes of playing with the long thick locks Vivio couldn't help thinking out loud, "What scares you more, sex or losing me?"

Eyes popping open instantly at the question Einhart clutched her hands on her knees before answering honestly, "Losing you. I want to spend the rest of my life making love to you. We didn't even go all the way but touching you, just now was the most incredible thing to ever happen to me. I don't want anyone else to touch you, it drives me nuts whenever I see people checking you out."

Hugging her girlfriend from behind and feeling the last of the anxiety of their earlier scare seep out of her Vivio said, "I feel the same way. But you really have no reason to be jealous," then she turned on the spray to rinse Einhart's hair.

Giving a squeak of dismay Einhart hunched under the spray then said defensively, "I'm not jealous… I'm possessive. There is a difference. I trust you but it is those slimy perverts out there who stare at you like you're a piece of meat that makes me want to strangle them. I don't mind it when Rio-chan or Corona-chan joke around with you because I know they're just teasing me. But certain idiots really need to learn to take a hint and back off."

Kissing Einhart's cheek Vivio soothed her, "You do know Levin is just flirting with me now to annoy you. I told her flat out I wasn't interested. In fact I was surprised the two of you didn't hit it off, I was really worried when we first met her. What with your cousin-fetish."

Turning to pick up a wash cloth Vivio found herself suddenly being pinned down, dark eyes seeming to bore holes into her soul, "I don't have a cousin-fetish," then her eyes strayed downward and a pink tongue peeked out to moisten her lips, "but I will admit to having a Vivio-fetish."

Blushing at the look Vivio pushed the wet washcloth in Einhart's face as she called out, "Ein-chan is a hentai!"

Falling back Einhart shook off the wet towel and the kicked puppy look she now sported had Vivio giggling before hugging the confused girl. Enjoying the feeling of naked skin pressing together Vivio gave into the temptation to squirm against her until eliciting a moan.

"Serves you right for being such a bully. I swear you are as bad as Fate when she is teasing mama," Vivio pointed out with a soft kiss to Einhart's lips.

Relaxing now that she knew her girlfriend wasn't really angry or offended Einhart picked up the washcloth before saying, "I was just trying to get you back for teasing me. I think I understand why Fate _tries_ to unbalance your mom so much. If she didn't she'd be in the same position as me."

Smirking at this Vivio stated, "I am pretty sure both you and Fate are exactly in the position you want to be in."

Hearing the disbelieving snort coming from her girlfriend meant Vivio was going to to have to take action.

A quick pounce had Einhart flat on her back and twinkling jewel eyes stared down on their prey, "Under a Takamachi who loves you more than anything else in this world."

Slightly breathless Einhart conceded, "You're right. This is exactly where I want to be."

The rest of their bath time went by much more quickly once they heard the noise of someone moving in the room beyond. Considering the amount of noise made Vivio had to giggle as it reminded her of the amount she made when coming home. Catching her parents in the act was not something she ever wanted to experience more than once and it seemed Fate was hoping to avoid the reverse ever happening. Stepping out of the bathroom they found a tray of food and a note:

 _Girls,_

 _Please try to get some rest. We will expect you down for dinner but hope this snack will tide you over until then._

 _Love,_

 _Fate_

Picking up a sandwich Einhart considered the note. The fact that Fate wrote it meant her cousin was also likely keeping Nanoha from storming in here to cuddle them. She had to be thankful for that. It would be awhile before she'd want anyone but Vivio touching her after what happened in the bath. To have anyone else come into this little bubble of warmth would ruin it no matter who they were.

Vivio read the note also and didn't seem concerned over her mother's lack of signature. Instead she climbed onto the bed before pulling the tray onto her lap carefully. With a quick pat to the space next to her the blonde girl made it clear what she wanted. Never being one to deny her Vivio anything Einhart immediately climbed onto the bed next to her. Snuggled next to each other and sharing a blanket they eat their meal feeling their exhaustion finally catch up with them.

Putting the tray on the side table Einhart settled down on the bed before opening her arms to the girl beside her. Humming happily at the offer the blonde immediately accepted her offer and snuggled in. It didn't take long before they both fell asleep tangled together in blissful warmth.

~"~"~"~

A/N2: Thanks so much for reading. Please take the time to review and let me know what you think. I will soon be thinking about names for Nanoha and Fate's babies so if you have ideas let me know. When the time comes I want to do another Poll so suggest some cute names for everyone to vote on!

**Big thank you to ELFBS and Ditto526 for Beta reading this chapter and helping me work out the bugs!**


	28. Chapter 28: Shells and Sand

Hello everyone! See I am still alive and writing. I have a question, I have stated a few times I have a couple of stories in the works but have been holding off posting because I wanted to finish this one first. As this story begins to draw to a close it is getting harder not to post one or two or four of them. These other stories aren't finished which is why I haven't posted them yet. So I want to ask, should I post the first chapter of these other stories in a grab bag and then let y'all vote on which one I should concentrate on or wait? My collection of betas are all telling me to behave myself and concentrate on one but I have ADHD and I honestly want to know what y'll think. I will update my profile with a brief description of the stories and I would appreciate either reviews or PMs with your opinion if I should post the first chapters.

I want to send a BIG thank you to Ditto and FBS for beta reading and keeping me somewhat on track, all errors left are my own but thanks to them there should be substantially less.

Disclaimer: I do not own MGLN or its characters. I make no profit from my writing.

~"~"~"~

The squirming bundle of trouble in Fate's lap wasn't making things any easier on either of them. Since leaving the tray of food upstairs and settling down on the couch Fate was finding it difficult to keep her wife from storming up the stairs and coddle _her baby girl_. This behavior wasn't unexpected and that was why she was now doing all she could to allow the teens some private time. Distracting Nanoha as she cooked and then ruining the meal which left her huffing before she turned to make sandwiches surely meant she was skirting the line of what was forgivable.

Kissing the soft skin of Nanoha's neck she tried to wheedle some kind of concession from her wife, "Na~no~ha, Ti amo. Per favore, smettila di preoccuparti, va tutto bene. { _I love you. Please stop worrying, everything is fine._ }"

Shifting to stare down her wife the auburn haired devil glared, "Vivio could have died! I didn't even realize anything was wrong. No one did. If Einhart hadn't been there I could have lost her."

Understanding the stress her wife was now dealing with Fate hugged her, "I know you're scared. I was scared too but this just proves my opinion that Einhart can be trusted to take care of Vivio is correct. Did you see how protective she became after what happened? She wouldn't let her go."

Hunching down and leaning into Fate Nanoha begrudgingly admitted, "Thinking about it now, in hindsight, that was really sweet. Ein-chan is a lot like you. I was really surprised she was strong enough to carry Vivio after everything."

Massaging Nanoha's back Fate explained, "You have to remember Einhart is the most athletic of the three of us. I hated team sports and avoided such things like the plague. Alicia is quite athletic but never joined a club since she was always following me around. Since Einhart has never had any restrictions on what after school activities she can enjoy she has been on a number of sports teams."

Finding a comfortable position Nanoha sighed, "So Ein-chan is pretty strong from all her training. Still, I don't know many women who are that strong. If it wasn't for all the martial arts instruction I received as a girl and basic fitness I've kept up with as an adult I doubt I would be as strong."

Laughing low in her throat Fate tried not to antagonize her wife but the look she received meant she had to explain her sudden burst of humor. Kissing the tip of Nanoha's cute nose she said, "I was just remembering how shocked I was when you picked me up the first time."

Blushing at the memory Nanoha gave her wife a light smack on the arm, "You would bring something like that up right now," then she buried her head against Fate's shoulder before asking, "She is okay, right? What if…"

Lifting Nanoha's face up Fate smiled gently at her before saying, "I promise you she is fine. In fact I am a hundred percent sure of it because right now she is with the person she loves and who loves her. Not to say you love her less but think of it this way, if you had a scare like that who would you want holding you: Your Mom or Me?"

Chewing her lip for a moment Nanoha admitted, "You, I'd know mama would be worried about me but all I'd want is you to be holding me. Especially if you were the one who saved me, I'd be looking for an opportunity to _thank you_ also," then Nanoha's head snapped up and she stared at the stairs.

The snorting laugh Fate failed miserably to restrain made Nanoha glare at her wife again but it failed to curb her humor. Squeezing Nanoha against her Fate teased, "You and I have had plenty of discussions with the girls on where their relationship is heading. While I am sure Vivio has taken the opportunity to _thank_ Einhart for saving her, I highly doubt they had the ahem stamina to take things to their full conclusion. Remember Einhart does take after me."

The look Nanoha gave her wife seemed to say she wasn't amused, "Honestly Fate-chan, I am not sure how to take that. You are a relentless beast so for all I know my daughter could be in the midst of some debauched sexual frenzy as we speak."

Choking on this description of highly improbable activities Fate pointed out, "Do you remember what happened the first time you touched me?"

Arms crossed now across her chest Nanoha said, "Yes, you proved that I was completely mistaken in believing you were an innocent lamb who would need to follow my lead. I hardly had the chance to do anything before you decided to make me your love puppet."

Swallowing down her growing embarrassment at Nanoha's bold descriptions Fate pointed out, "While it is true I was more than a bit eager to pleasure you, it should be noted I didn't last very long once you took the lead. All it took was one touch and I was finished."

There was a snorting sound coming from Nanoha at this blatant falsehood, "You were more than capable of going more than one round that first night. Just because you came quickly the first time didn't mean you were wiped out. If you are trying to say Einhart is as sensitive as you are then I can also only assume she will have the same sexual appetite and that isn't something Vivio is ready to deal with."

Giving her wife a little shake Fate clarified her position, "Nanoha, when we became lovers it wasn't after a physically exhausting life threatening emergency. I would be very surprised if the girls had enough energy to do more than kiss and cuddle. And I would like to point out I wasn't a complete beast that first night. I made love to you then _you_ took advantage of _me_ twice before you hijacked what should have been my turn with the excuse that it was going to be _our turn._ After which I was so tired I couldn't even move. It has been a struggle since the beginning to keep up with you, I thought I was going to die of exhaustion more than once during that first week."

Frowning Nanoha asked, "Was I too pushy?" but before Fate could answer a horrid thought struck her, "Oh gawd Vivio is just like me, what if she pressures Einhart too? She's just like you and will just give in to her demands without complaint."

Now instead of being concerned for her daughter's virtue it was Einhart's, trying to stand up so she could halt the further corruption of the poor girl Nanoha found herself firmly held in place.

Shaking her head Fate said, "Will you please calm down Nanoha? Now then, we both know neither you nor Vivio are sexual predators. If either myself or Einhart said no to any advances made by either of you we know you'd stop. You have never forced me to do anything I wasn't comfortable doing. I might have been unsure as to whether some activities would be as pleasurable as others we previously engaged in but even then you have always been proven right in the end. I trust you completely and even when I am exhausted if I was given a choice between sleep and pleasuring you I would prefer to be touching you."

This was clearly the truth because Nanoha knew there were times when due to her hormone induced hyperactivity Fate had been pressed to her limits to keep up with her. She would never admit it but she liked pushing Fate to the very edge of her stamina before letting the blonde finally fall into exhausted sleep. It was then when Fate had no energy left that she truly let down all her defenses while she slept. She looked like a child, so open and defenseless. It made her hope that at least one of their daughters favored Fate in looks. To see a mini-Fate-chan sleeping so innocently would be a dream come true.

Carefully standing Fate lifted Nanoha to her feet and guided her to the front door, "Now then, before you start making too big of a fuss and disturb their rest we are going to go for a walk. You and I can look for seashells or something like that. I haven't really paid any attention to the so-called natural attractions of a beach."

Feeling her wife hesitating Fate didn't give Nanoha the chance to make any further complaints by saying, "Norbert will have started cooking, he is very good at barbecue, so if you want to eat you had better behave yourself."

Allowing herself to be chivied out of the house Nanoha felt as if Fate was being a whole lot more calm about the circumstances than should be expected. As they reached the edge of the water Fate finally said, "You don't have to look at me like that, I am just as worried about those two as you are. The biggest difference between us though is I know exactly how important Vivio is to Einhart. She'd never do anything to alienate or hurt her. Vivio will have to set the pace between them and seeing as she is your daughter, I trust her to do that."

Squeezing Fate's arm Nanoha asked, "Is that really wise? Like you said she is _my_ daughter."

Stopping to pick up a wedge shell Fate let the waves wash it clean of sand before examining it, showing it to Nanoha she said, "Just like this shell your daughter is both beautiful and unique. She is the lovely young woman she is today because of you. If there is anyone I can trust with Einhart's emotional and physical well being it's her. Because I know, just like her mama, she will always do what is right and protect the people she loves."

Blushing at this high praise Nanoha took the shell from her wife. It was tentatively still linked to its match which made it a rare find on the beach. On top of that the color of the shell was a deep purple. It reminded her of the color of Einhart's right eye and suddenly the idea of making the two halves of the shell into necklaces for the girls struck her. Carefully pocketing the shell she pulled Fate on feeling more relaxed for some odd reason.

They wandered pass the Starks with a wave until they came to the rocky protrusions where Alicia had tried to sneak off too with Carim. Knowing better than to try and use the place for an illicit liaison with her wife Fate helped her pick pass some the more tricky footing until they came to a small pool of water. Here she helped her wife take a seat so they could examine the life inside the hidden tide pool. There were dark barnacles and pinkish starfish, strange looking urchins and other things neither could find the proper names for.

Sitting on the rocks wasn't good for Nanoha's back and Fate made sure to pull her away from the little oasis before she ended up getting too stiff or achy. Walking back up the beach to the Starks Fate let her wife rest more comfortably in one of the folding chairs with extra padding. Now in the shade and in a feeling a bit more relaxed Nanoha looked over the three sisters as Fate went over to Norbert to help with tending the grill's fire.

It was her dark twin who spoke first with a worried frown wrinkling her brow, "Is there anything we can do to help Nanoha?"

Smiling at the young woman Nanoha said, "No, thank you for offering Stern. As Fate-chan has repeatedly pointed out, Vivio has Einhart to take care of her right now. And considering how much the girl takes after Fate-chan I can't think of a better person to be watching over her."

Levi made a face which seemed to denote her grudging agreement to this statement and her own disappointment at not having a chance to get closer to the vivacious blonde. Seeing this Nanoha couldn't help being amused, a younger bratty version of Alicia was pining over her daughter. While she had no issues with Vivio dating girls the idea of Vivio matched with any of the Stark sisters wasn't one she thought she could handle. Looking at the trio reminded her too much of the legends of doppelgangers in which meeting yours was a death omen. It was only the fact that Fate had grown up knowing these girls which stopped her from wondering if the dissimilar sisters weren't evil spirits.

There was a soft kiss to her temple before Fate took a seat next to her at the table. With their chairs situated as close to each other as possible and their hands linked Nanoha felt a bit more of her earlier stress ease. Knowing Vivio was safe and having her wife close by let her really start enjoying the beach. Pulling out the shell she had collected earlier Nanoha wondered if she could find a tool to bore a hole in the bivalve shell to make necklaces.

Leaning over to look at the purplish shell Fate asked, "What did you plan to do with it?"

Blushing a little Nanoha said, "I was thinking of making jewelry."

Reaching out for it Fate asked, "May I see it?"

Handing it over Nanoha watched as Fate looked over the bivalve shell and with a nod she said, "Do you want to do it now or wait until we get back to the Retreat?"

Surprised Nanoha replied, "You have the tools here? Have you ever done something like this before?"

Giving her wife a rather sly smile Fate asked in return, "What kind of reward would I get if I'm able to do it?"

Before Nanoha could think of a response Dearche covered her ears and said loudly, "Na-na-na-na-na I can't hear anything. I don't want to hear this. Please stop!"

Reaching over for a spare towel on the chair next to her Fate threw it at Dearche which shut her up but also caused her to stick her tongue out at the older woman. Smirking at this Fate said, "If I want to flirt with my wife Deache you will just have to deal with it. After all you wouldn't like it if I decided to pay too close attention to what you've been getting up to, now would you?"

Something about Fate's tone let Dearche know if pushed over this Fate really could make her life uncomfortable. She was really enjoying her college life and while she didn't have a lover it didn't mean she hadn't played around a little. If her family had any clue to what she got up to she'd be hoisted with the wet blanket Stern as a roommate until graduation. Biting her lip she turned away from the blonde woman refusing to dig the hole she was in any deeper.

Smirking at this response Fate was surprised at how relaxed she was feeling at the moment. She was sitting on a beach and didn't feel like screaming with fear or huddling under a blanket. Nor did she feel like anyone there had expectations of her that she couldn't meet. No one had even mentioned her getting into the water. It was all rather funny since she knew the only reason she was even doing this was because of Nanoha.

Being able to step outside the beach house in the first place was a minor miracle. Doing it twice in one day and being the one to instigate the second outing had to be proof that for her lover she could and would do anything. Rubbing the shell that was still in her hand between her fingers she thought about Nanoha's suggestion for the object. Doing this little thing for her would be a nice way of showing her appreciation for how much she had improved her life.

Turning back to Nanoha she cleared her throat, "Ahem, as I was saying. I can drill a hole in the two halves for you and also disconnect them cleanly. I am pretty sure Alicia's tool box has all the things I'd need."

Curious over this Nanoha asked again, "You've done this before?"

Waving her free hand shakily Fate said, "I have drilled holes in shells before but not for jewelry. Alicia used to come here during the summer when we were kids and bring back shells to show me. One year she decided to make wind chimes out of them which meant drilling holes so we could string them. We bought a dremel for the job and the noise scared the heck out of both of us. Of course Alicia is too stubborn to let something like that put her off so she bought us ear plugs. Once she got the hang of using the dremel she taught me to use it too."

Norbert had come back to the table as Fate spoke and he added in, "I still have one of those chimes at home. It was one of the few Fate hand-painted so I keep it in tissue paper. Beautiful is too tame a word for it, I'd love to display it but the idea of it getting damaged has me keeping it tucked away."

Fate hadn't known that and it touched her heart a little to know the man treasured something she had made so many years ago. Her own father had thrown the one she made for him away after a windstorm had caused a few of the shells to crack. She couldn't even remember what happened to the one she had made for herself. Alicia's had been destroyed by an angry ex-girlfriend during their breakup.

Leaning forward Nanoha said, "I would love to see it when we get back Norbert, if you don't mind showing it too me."

Seeing how interested Nanoha was in this Fate began to wonder if perhaps her wife would like a wind chime also. Of course she'd have to get the girls to collect the shells in secret for her otherwise her wife would know what she was up too. Painting them could be done when they got home which would also allow her to hide the project more easily. It might make a nice decoration to hang outside of the nursery window. Liking the idea more and more Fate silently decided to make her wife the very best wind chime she could from shells collected on this trip.

The conversation had moved back to Fate without her realizing, shaking herself out of her thoughts she asked, "Come again? I'm sorry I was distracted."

Norbert had gotten up again to get some drinks and asked, "Did you want anything to drink? It's really starting to heat up, I don't want you getting heat stroke."

"Water please, thank you Norbert," Fate replied before turning to Nanoha, "You need to drink something too. I don't want you getting sick."

Leaning into her wife Nanoha said teasingly, "I'll just steal a sip or two from yours."

Before Fate could chastise her wife the older man laughingly said, "I'll grab two waters for you."

They all ate a light lunch of sandwiches a little while later then the sisters took off to play on the beach again. Dearche and Levi setting up a volleyball net then forcing Stern to watch them compete and play referee. Considering how much the younger siblings liked to bicker Stern's presence was absolutely necessary to prevent the pair from squabbling. Watching from a distance Norbert thanked Fate for inviting them since it was clear his girls were having a good time.

Once the fire in the grill was sufficiently hot Fate helped bring out the meat Norbert had prepared the night before. It looked like the man had brought enough meat and vegetables for grilling to feed an army. Working beside Norbert, Fate couldn't help thinking how this man had once been the closest thing she had to _real_ father. Clyde Harlaown had been a kind mentor, Lord Hückebein had taught her how to maneuver in the world of high society and her own father had served as an example on how to use one's talent to ingratiate patrons. Yet none of those men had been real father figures to her like this unassuming man.

While the others had taught her skills to make a living Norbert and his family had taught her what a family was supposed to be. Loving one's spouse despite or perhaps even because of their foibles. Being the hand on the back when learning to riding a bicycle and the one to encourage you to pick yourself back up after a tumbling fall. He had provided normality when most of her life was anything but that. If there was any hope of her being a good parent she would give all credit for that miracle to this man.

Turning his head to look at the tall blonde Norbert smiled at her, "How are you holding up little one?"

Placing a kabob on the grill Fate assessed her mood and was pleasantly surprised that there was little panic or anxiety in her. In fact this was the closest she'd been to relaxed while in such a situation in living memory. Grinning she said, "I feel good. You know the past few months have been a roller coaster for me but right now, I can honestly say I am happy. Not just with my life in general but I am happy to be here with my family."

Closing the grill Norbert said, "That's good. I was worried that all the excitement would have you stressed out. You didn't look very comfortable when we first arrived."

Taking the dirty platters Fate said, "Nanoha helped with that. She is very talented when it comes to distracting me and getting me see the reality of the situation."

Giving the young woman a teasing smile Norbert responded, "I noticed that. You found yourself an excellent distraction, I can see her causing you trouble for a very long time."

Blushing at the unusual tease from the older man Fate gave him a nudge with her arm as they walked towards the house. This didn't stop her proving his words though as her eyes shot over to Nanoha briefly. Seeing she was talking and looking happy with the sisters Fate relaxed a bit more before turning her attention back to her footing on the sandy beach. Norbert had noticed how wobbly Fate had been on the uneven ground and was about to reach out to stabilize her when he saw the reason for her trouble.

Rolling his eyes he laughed, "My goodness you really do have it bad."

Unable to deny the truth Fate smiled at this, "You have no idea. I had no clue people could even feel like this. If you'd tried to explain it to me I would have thought you were nuts. It's like I'm feeling color. She makes everything feel alive and so vibrant."

Propping open the door Norbert allowed Fate to enter before him and was glad to see she gave the room a sweeping glance. No half naked teens were anywhere in sight or else she would have stopped him from entering. Moving into the kitchen they rinsed off the dishes and placed them in the washer. Work done he gave her a wink before saying, "I'll head back out. Don't worry I won't let my girls pick on your wife."

Nodding at this Fate waved the man out as she took the opportunity to check on the girls. Before heading up stairs she saw the stack of luggage hadn't gotten any smaller. Realizing the girls would be stuck up there until one of them was brave enough to wander the house in a towel she decided to to be merciful. Picking up Einhart's duffel and lifting the rolling suitcase she made her way to their room and wondered to herself how _far_ the pair might have gone in the last few hours.

Whatever she might say about trusting the teens Fate couldn't help thinking about what _she_ might have done in a similar situation at the same age with Nanoha involved, definitely not PG-13 material. Then the thought of her future daughters being squirreled away with their significant other. Her instinctual need to protect her babies made her heart race and a new worry come to mind. In eighteen years, ' _or less'_ her traitorous mind pointed out, her daughters would be bringing home their first boy or girl friends. Looking at the luggage in her hands much more critically, those future suitors will _not_ be given this same level of trust.

Knocking softly on their door she waited for a response. The shuffling noises and squeaks of dismay made her chuckle dryly, the pair was obviously trying to avoid being caught in flagrante. Cracking the door open she reached in with Einhart's bag tossing it into the room, then she pushed the wheeled suitcase into the room leaving it beside the door frame.

Almost shutting the door completely Fate said with a hint of teasing, "Dinner will be at six, please try to be back on the beach before then. And Einhart I should mention, while this house has been sound proofed the doors are not as _sturdy_ as those at the retreat. Please don't give Nanoha a reason to break into this room."

With a click the door was closed again and the teens blushing hotly as they tried to decide what was the best option. Einhart pulled at their sheet and tucked it around her, mumbling she said, "I'll get our clothes. We should rejoin the others now that you're feeling better."

The girl let her legs drape over the edge of the bed and was about to get up when Vivio decided that wasn't going to happen. With a yank the sheet fell away and she got an eyeful of her girlfriend. Sometime during their nap Vivio was sure she'd been the one to fling away their towels due to her dislike of the dampness. Einhart had been insistent they at least cover themselves with the terry cloth until they could get to their luggage. Honestly she'd rather watch Einhart walk around naked and in exchange would be more than happy to let her girlfriend see her in the buff.

The squeak of dismay and blush as Einhart tried to cover her breasts had Vivio giggling before throwing herself forward to hug her. The feeling of flesh pressing against her naked back had Einhart falling over sideways back onto the bed. Burying her front into the covers Einhart's voice came out muffled, "Vi, go get dressed!"

Unhappy with this response Vivio poked her girlfriend's sides which made her twitch and roll over to retaliate. The sight of her naked torso made Vivio's breath catch, in an awed whisper she said, "Gawd Ein, you are so beautiful. I love you so much."

Unable to resist the obvious look of love Einhart reached up and pulled Vivio down onto her. Their bodies pressed together in an intoxicating manner as they kissed. Threading her fingers through silky blonde hair then massaging her hands down soft skin until they came to Vivio's tailbone. Tickling at the base of her back she smiled at the squirming response she received.

When Vivio pulled away with a pout Einhart grinned at her, "One of these days I am going to make you wear a cat tail and ears. You are as capricious as a feline and just as cute."

Grinning back Vivio flicked at her girlfriend's bangs as she counter-offered, "Only if you wear a puppy tail and ears for me. You would be so cute as my personal pet."

Tickling her teasing blonde Einhart replied, "You better watch out dogs chase cats."

Pulling away to stand up Vivio avoided wiggling fingers as she made for their luggage. Not minding that her lover was watching her every move. Turning to come back she couldn't help noting Einhart's razor sharp attention to her body. Breaking the girl's trance she tossed Einhart her duffel before opening her suitcase to rummage around. Ignoring the disgruntled noises coming from her girlfriend she pulled out a shirt and shorts then focused on the more important decision, panties.

Finding a matched set of pink underclothing she stuck out her tongue before leaning over to put on her panties and tease, "You know it'd be nice to have you do the chasing for once. It seems like I'm always having to be the dominate one in this relationship."

Yanking the fabric out of Vivio's hands before hooking her in with one arm Einhart pinned her girlfriend down on the bed. There was a dangerous gleam in her eyes as she growled, "How dominate do you really want me to be?"

Feeling a throb of arousal flood through her Vivio pulled the green haired girl down for a kiss. Normally at this point Vivio knew she could take the lead, tongues dueling she attempted to roll them over so she could be on top and prove her point. Instead Einhart pressed her hips down and the kiss became rougher. Moaning at the high handed treatment Vivio tried to pull Einhart closer which just made the girl break their kiss and start leaving a trail of biting kisses down her neck.

Getting to the sweet spot of where neck and shoulder met Einhart licked at it then asked again, "Tell me Vi, how dominate do you want me to be?"

Hands tangled in dark locks Vivio pulled at her head as she pleaded, "Please Einhart. Please."

Licking the sensitive spot and blowing on it caused Vivio's hips to grind up into her as she let out a piteous moan. Slipping her thigh between her girlfriend's legs Einhart was amazed by the obvious arousal on display. Whimpering Vivio's hands immediately went to her girlfriend's hips as she tried to press them closer. It took all of Einhart's strength of will not to immediately give into this desperate sign of need.

Pulling Vivio's hands away and holding them above her head Einhart moved to support herself on her knees, no longer allowing their bodies to touch. The hot wetness that proved how effective her treatment had been up until now cooled in the open air as it seeped down her leg. The pouting look Vivio gave her showed the girl was just growing more desperate but wasn't quite ready to verbalize what she really wanted.

Leaning in just enough for their breasts to rub against each other Einhart smirked when Vivio arched her back to increase the friction. Pulling back again and loving the groan of dismay the dark haired girl asked once more, "How dominate do you want me Vivio Takamachi?"

With a mammoth show of strength Vivio tried to flip her girlfriend over. While she did succeed in briefly lifting the girl up for a second she was shocked to find herself still pinned when the taller girl shifted a little to sit on her hips and pushed back. Laughing at this attempt Einhart teased, "I've got you trapped. If you're a good girl and tell me what you want maybe I'll give it to you."

Biting her lip to hold back the moan at how hot she was finding her girlfriend at this moment Vivio tried to conceal how much she loved this hidden side of Einhart. Wanting to see more of this alpha behavior she squirmed in the tight grip while letting out a faux growl of frustration before demanding, "Let me be on top."

Surprised by this response Einhart loosened her hold and asked, "Is that what you really want?"

Feeling the grip loosen and the hesitation in Einhart's voice Vivio swallowed back her disappointment, she really wanted her girlfriend to tease her some more. Just as she had done after thwarting her attempt to flip them over. Of course Einhart would worry she had pushed her too far and was now being a good lover and checking on her. Wiggling her hands and smiling at the fact that Einhart didn't continue to try to restrain her, this allowed for Vivio to join both their hands together.

Giving a gentle pull on their connection Vivio smirked when Einhart leaned back in letting their bodies touch again. Extending their arms above her head Vivio arched her hips up as she whispered against her lover's lips, "What I really want Einhart is for you to dominate me. I want you to decide how much pleasure I deserve."

There was a hitch in the green haired girl's breathing as a flood of erotic thoughts flooded her mind. There were so many things she wanted to explore with Vivio but this really wasn't the time or place to start. They had two hours max before the door to their room would be knocked off its hinges. Lust and rational thought warred in her mind and the conflict was as clear as the nose on her face.

Giggling at the stunned look and how her oh-so-perfect girlfriend's conscience was struggling Vivio lifted her head to press a kiss to a soft cheek. When that failed to get a response she unlaced their fingers and flipped them over. With a wink and quick peck on the lips Vivio said, "I didn't mean to break you Ein-chan. I know right _now_ isn't the right time to go any… um… ah farther than we already have. We have that mini vacation planned for visiting Disney and I was hoping we could… well you know… go all the way then."

The confident look on Vivio's face faltered as she spoke but not once did she break eye contact. Hugging the blonde to her Einhart hid her burning face in cool hair as she replied, "I think that would be perfect. You are my beautiful princess so it is only fitting."

This earned Einhart a tightening of their hug and kisses to every inch of skin the baby devil had access to. Suddenly her golden sanctuary was replaced with the grinning face of her girlfriend, bejeweled eyes gleaming with love before she received a heart stopping kiss.

It was only when she heard giggling again that Einhart realized she was lying on the bed alone. Standing up with a smug look on her face Vivio said, "You are so much like Fate. I've seen mama kiss her senseless and wondered if I could do that too," The confident look faded when she thought about how her words had come out, worriedly she babbled, "Uh no, that not what I meant, well I do want to kiss but um just not with Fate… Ah with you, I wanted to see if I could kiss you senseless."

Getting up and no longer caring about her nude state Einhart moved as close as she could to Vivio without touching. Hovering on the bare edge the dark eyed girl leaned in just enough to whisper in Vivio's ear, "And I've always wondered if I can tease you to the point of snapping? How long do you think you'll last micetta?" { _kitten_ }

Groaning at this diabolical tease Vivio tried to move in closer to Einhart but the girl had moved like lightning. The green haired girl had picked up her duffel bag and letting it swing loosely at her side she strutted into the bathroom. The click of the door was like a gunshot, clenching her fist Vivio let out a growling whimper. Picking up her underwear she quietly swore to herself, "I'll show her. If anyone is going to snap it's going to be her. There is no way I'm going to let her win."

Ten minutes later the pair left the seclusion of their bedroom. Holding hands the couple walked down the stairs ready to face their family. Silently they contemplated the new aspect of their relationship and the challenge Einhart had _thrown down._ While teasing wasn't new, to take it to Master Testarossa-Takamachi Teasing levels meant a whole new style of warfare would need to be deployed. Each had watched as their elders had engaged in this winner-takes-all manner of battling and hoped the skills they had learned by osmosis would help in this apocalyptic struggle. Vivio already knew she'd rather see the world burn than give in to her antagonist. Einhart was already assessing which ploys might work best to entrance and enflame her prey without drawing undue attention to them in public.

Quickening her pace just before they got to the door Einhart opened it and held it for Vivio. Giving her a small bow as she passed loving the little blush this _gallant_ behavior earned her. If there was one thing Takamachis loved it was princely manners, especially when their partners were the ones offering an arm or pulling out a chair. Stepping up her game and not letting a single opportunity to treat Vivio like a princess would be step one in her overall master plan. It was this attentiveness that essentially won the blonde girl's heart making it impossible for Vivio to keep her hands to herself.

Knowing how weak she was to this sort of _attack_ Vivio lifted her chin and tried to appear unmoved despite the pinkness of her cheeks. While it would take time to control her physiological responses she could at least show she was mentally stronger than her _baser urges._ If Einhart was going to play Prince Charming then she'd prove she was impervious to her charms. It would take more than courteous knightly behavior to make her lose control.

As they walked over to the group Einhart watched Vivio out of the corner of her eye and couldn't help the lovesick smile that grew on her face. The challenge fell to the back of her mind as she wondered how she got so lucky to have the blonde girl in her life. Not just in her life but loving her! Her, Einhart Stratos, the goofball and not the image the students of their school had created.

When they reached the group instinctively Vivio greeted everyone with her cheery smile as Einhart pulled out a chair for her girlfriend placing her next to her mother and another empty seat. Taking the seat without a word Vivio meant to ignore the fluttering feeling this attention caused her when her mother smacked her knee, "Say thank you. Don't you ever take Einhart's kindness for granted."

Blushing in embarrassment Vivio ducked her head as she tried to come up with an apology. Instead of being allowed to wallow in her misery Einhart saved her, in a truly terrible way for her heart. With a gentle hand Vivio felt her face being turned up then her oh-so-princely girlfriend said, "I'd take a kiss in place of an apology and thank you. Two for one, aren't I generous?"

Vivio was sure if any more blood rushed into her head it would explode from all the pressure and heat. The cocky little grin she was sure Einhart didn't know was any different from her other smiles but made her panties grow moist each time she saw it was making it nearly impossible to hold on to her self control. Why had she accepted this challenge? Every time her mother tried to play it ended with a frazzled to her wits' end Nanoha dragging Fate off to do unmentionable things. Hubris, it was unmitigated hubris to think she had any more self control than her own mother.

Mumbling her agreement to the terms Vivio leaned over and gave Einhart a quick peck on the lips. With a set of puppy eyes that should have seen her locked up for unlawful cuteness Einhart pouted a bit as she sat back in her chair only for Dearche's comment of, "Cheap!" to ruin the moment. Not even the loud thwacking noise of Stern hitting the back of her sister's head did anything to lessen her guilt at _short changing_ her girlfriend.

Fate got up from the other side of Nanoha to help with the food, stopping as she passed by to kiss the top of Vivio's head she whispered, "Don't forget, turnabout is fair play."

Considering these words Vivio decided it was time to stake a very public and unambiguous claim on Einhart. Not that the matching love marks on their necks weren't already doing that job nicely. Getting up from her chair she pushed it out of the way then with a devious smile found a comfy spot on her girlfriend's lap. The burning blush this action received made Vivio feel like she might have regained some of her lost ground. When Einhart finally conceded and wrapped her arms around Vivio's waist the blonde knew it was time to strike.

Returning Einhart's loving gesture she wrapped her arms around the green haired girl's neck before saying loudly, "You know Dearche is right, I didn't properly show my gratitude for all you do for me," then she leaned down and kissed her fully on the lips. It wasn't a gross sloppy or showy kiss but very loving. Pulling back and settling back comfortably on Einhart's lap she winked as she said boldly, "Thank you Ein-chan."

Squeezing her girlfriend tightly as she hid her head against the blonde's shoulder Einhart couldn't decide if she was more embarrassed or happy. Her mood shifted directly to annoyed when a wolf whistle sounded and Alicia's comment of, "Look Carebear we are getting a show with dinner."

Turning her head to glare at the older twin but was saved from responding by Nanoha saying, "I thought that was a family trait. The three of you all seem magnets for attention."

Grinning Alicia gave a little bow and said, "I aim to please my admiring audience."

This earned her a pinch on the side from her fiancee and the sharp remark, "Keep it up and I will chain you to an organ grinder's box."

Taking a seat Carim sighed, "Nanoha, how do you do it? You have all three of them running in and out of your house at all hours and yet they all fall into line the second you say a word."

Fate hearing this replied, "I like sleeping in bed, the couch hurts my back."

Einhart seeing the teasing gleam in Fate's eye added in, "Hey Nanoha-san is the best cook around, I don't want to starve."

The devious older twin rested her hands on Nanoha's shoulders before telling her fiancee, "Fate-chan made me promise not to upset her precious Nanoha-chan, you have no idea how scary an annoyed Fate can be."

Batting away her sister's hands from her wife Fate said, "And yet you constantly attempt to do so, I highly doubt you really fear me."

Catching the hands trying to push her away she moved over to her sister and trapped the woman in a hug. Leaning over the back of the chair she rubbed her left cheek against her sister's right as she said, "I lllllluuuuuvvvvv you imouto-chan."

Grasping hold of her sister's arms Fate stood up with the older blonde now hanging from her back. With a nod to the shocked Carim she turned carting off her sister, coming to the edge of the water Alicia began to really struggle, crying out, "NO NO NO NO! Come on Fate, please don't do this. I'll behave. Please ddddoooonn't!"

With a less effort than it really should have taken Fate flipped her sister over her shoulder and right into the cold water. The woman came up sputtering and with an evil glare she tried to tackle her sister. Side stepping the attack Fate had fun for a few minutes avoiding the soaked woman who was flailing around like a B-movie monster.

Watching the duo Dearche shook her head and asked in general, "How old are they again?"

This made Nanoha crack up laughing, "When I first met them I never would have guessed they could be like this. I nearly had a heart attack when Alicia started acting like a little kid tickling and snuggling with Fate. It's not all Alicia either, Fate-chan is just as likely to start their little teasing games. I love watching it, they look so happy together."

With an arm on the back of her chair Nanoha rested her head on it and with her other hand rubbed her belly. One day she would see her own daughters playing like this and she would ensure they never had to endure the pain and sadness this pair went through.

Norbert came back to the table with a platter of cooked meats and seeing the twins goofing around sighed, "I swear to God those two will never grow up."

This response surprised Stern who asked, "What do you mean da? Fate and Alicia never roughhoused like that before."

Laughing the balding man said, "Just because you never caught them doing it doesn't mean it didn't happen. I swear your mother used to complain about the number of outfits those two ruined going off on their _adventures._ Alicia would drag Fate off and before I knew it one of them was covered in mud or stuck up a tree. Normally the one who came off the worse was Alicia but Fate got her fair share of trouble. Alicia always covered up for Fate's part of it so if any punishment did come of their antics she was the only one to _suffer_."

Pulling the kitchen towel off his shoulder he waved it as he made his way over to pair and shouted, "Hey you two! Time to get cleaned up, food's ready. Cia, leave your sister alone and get in the house. Fate come help me set everything up."

The pair immediately responded to the orders but not without Alicia sticking her tongue out at her sister and whispering, "I will get my revenge. You better watch out imouto-chan."

Giving her sister her patented innocent look Fate said, "I have no idea what you are talking about onee-chan. Now, if you'll excuse me I need to help Norbert. Don't worry I'll make sure to save you a burger."

The older man shook his head at the pair's antics. Directing her to bring out condiments and fixings Fate set everything up neatly which was much better than his daughters would have done. Stern might have done the job just as easily but her sisters would have harassed her causing a mess. Levi wasn't to be trusted carrying anything since she tended to spill things in her carelessness. Dearche could do it but it would be done at a snail's pace and with enough groaning to make it seem like the dead had risen. All those reasons were in the back of Fate's mind too as she assisted but that wasn't why she was helping. Taking care of her family made her happy and this was supposed to be a vacation where they could all enjoy each other's company.

Seeing Nanoha talk with the Starks and sharing memories of the past that weren't fraught with pain and humiliation was very enjoyable. Plates, napkins, and drinks were passed out as more food was brought to the table by Norbert. With ten hungry mouths to feed it wouldn't take long to make a dent in the mounds of food. Fate moved Vivio's chair back into place and gave the teens a look that said, ' _You've had your fun now behave yourselves and eat.'_

In what must have been record time Alicia back out of the house dressed in a golden sundress and sandals. Her skin carried a slight tan already and in combination with her hair she looked like a Sun Goddess. The sisters stared at her openly, momentarily forgetting this was the same woman who usually teased and taunted them like a spoiled child. In that moment everyone could only see the confident beautiful woman who could captivate a room just by entering.

It wasn't jealousy Fate felt at that moment when she saw Nanoha _admire_ her sister, nor was it concern. Because the way her wife was looking at her sister was the same way she looked at a TV or movie actor she found appealing. There was no lust or covetousness in her eyes and she was also the first to dismiss the _show_ her sister was putting on by shouting, "Enough strutting Cia-chan, hurry up or we will start eating without you."

The statement made more than one person snort with laughter and thankful speed up the blonde's pace. Pouting as she came to her chair the model said, "I should have expected such uncouth behavior from a pregnant woman when it comes to food."

Before the bantering could get out of hand Fate bowed her head and said, "itadakimasu."

Following this action Vivio and Einhart joined in and soon the rest of the group repeated the blessing and food was being passed around. If there was one thing Fate knew, food was the best way to keep her rambunctious family under control. As they ate she enjoyed the feeling of peaceful unity amongst them. Of course she knew before the day was over her sister would have to _get her revenge_ but that would likely involve them both getting caught up in some silliness. Alicia still wasn't letting go of that mission, she would always be the prankster who dragged Fate into misadventures.

When the meal was finished Fate got up to start helping with the clean up but this time Norbert shooed her away saying, "You helped enough. It's time the youngsters pulled their weight."

There was a groaning from Dearche which got her a dry look from her father shutting her up. With a resigned look she started picking up the leftovers to take inside. Seeing everything was under control Fate said, "I think a short walk in town might be nice. We'll be back in an hour or two," looking over the collection of teens she said, "Don't go into swimming while we're gone. You can play in the waves but nothing deeper than your knees. If you manage to stay out of trouble Alicia and I will build you a bonfire."

Liking the sound of that the youngsters got to work and talked about collecting shells while exploring the beach. Taking Einhart aside she quietly asked the girl collect a few shells for her as well which the girl happily agreed too. Hugging the girl she decided to give her a piece of advice regarding her girlfriend, "If you really want to beat a Takamachi at their own game you have to remember, you are the bait. Which puts you in a dangerous position, you are just as likely to get eaten as capture your prize. So don't poke the bear if you aren't ready to deal with the consequences."

Biting her lip Einhart admitted, "We plan to go all the way soon. It's getting harder to hold back."

Squeezing the girl's shoulder Fate said, "You've done well to go as slowly as you have. I'm impressed with both of you for your maturity. If I didn't think you were taking this seriously I wouldn't be as supportive. If the two of you have decided to take that step then all I ask is you remember the act isn't about your own pleasure. Be considerate of each other, and don't just assume what you are doing is good or bad. Communicate, it might feel a bit awkward at first but it will make the experience better in the long run."

Seeing movement from the corner of their eyes the pair turned and saw a curious Nanoha waiting, "Are we going out or not Fate-chan?"

Giving the girl a soft nudge Einhart took the hint and waved goodbye to the pair before joining the others to clean up. Closing the gap between them Fate took her wife in her arms to hug her. She was standing on a beach with the setting sun painting the sky a multitude of colors. She'd never appreciated the scenery before but with Nanoha it was like her blinders had been removed. Whispering unconsciously, "bellissimo," she tried to capture the moment in her memory.

A kiss to her neck had her looking down leaving her open to another on the lips, before she could deepen it Nanoha pulled away and said, "You said we're going for a walk in town. I want to see the sights with you."

Wrapping her arm back around Nanoha, Fate guided her to the SUV and said, "I don't remember much about the town so we will have to explore it together. The only places I really went were the gelateria and a stationary shop since they were within biking distance. Father took me to an art supplies store a few times but my behavior when visiting here annoyed him so that was rare. Down by the public beaches there are a lot of artists who draw tourists or landscapes which can be nice to see. Father actually sponsored one of them, paid for his education and mentored him for a while. They had a falling out and that turned father off working with, as he put it, _children._ "

Letting Fate help her into the vehicle Nanoha could see the pensive look on her wife's face and asked, "What is it? Do you want to find this person?"

Surprised by the idea Fate said, "I'd never considered it. We weren't that close, he had little patience for me."

Coming around the SUV she got in and as she drove towards the town she finally admitted what had disturbed her, "Honestly Nanoha, I was more concerned with my students, I don't know what I'd do if I lost contact with them. Teana, Subaru, Erio and Caro are like family to me, I can't understand how my father could have been so petty to let someone he cared for walk away in a fit of …"

Fate trailed off as her eyes widened as if she just realized something. Covering her wife's knee Nanoha squeezed it and asked worriedly, "Fate-chan what is it?"

Blinking rapidly as if that would help her clear her mind, "He was jealous. My father was jealous of his student. He'd come up with all these petty nitpicky things to degrade the man's work and that lead to them arguing. Father never did that with me. But then again my success was his also, I was just proving he could create genius. All my talent was laid at his feet as if he had blessed me with the inspiration to paint and draw."

Turning off the narrow road and parking in an open lot near the beach Fate turned off the vehicle, "Sometimes I wonder if father ever saw me or if I was just some strangely damaged vase he could put on display? If mother hadn't been injured how different would our lives have been? I'm sorry, I'm getting all maudlin again."

Scooting as close as she could to her wife Nanoha wrapped a hand around the back of her neck and pulled her over. Pressing their foreheads together she said, "I love you. We both knew coming here would cause some difficult memories to come back to you. I want to be the one to help you work through them. Depend on me. I won't run away no matter what happened in the past."

Kissing her wife Fate drank in the love Nanoha seemed to be overflowing with just for her. Letting her lips trail from soft lips to cheek then neck Fate ended up growling when the shifter got in the way of reaching more of her wife. Giggling at this Nanoha pulled away saying, "I should have known Fate-chan was trying to seduce me again. You have a history of taking me parking with nefarious intentions."

Quickly exiting the vehicle Fate came around to open the door. Undoing her wife's seat belt she then leaned in to kiss her again before replying, "I will have you know all my intentions are pure when it comes to you. It's not my fault I'm addicted to you."

There was a heat to the look Fate was giving her that told Nanoha if she didn't get them moving there was a _very_ good chance things would get out of hand. Not wanting a police record for indecency she gave her wife a gentle push so she could climb out of the SUV. Taking her wife's hand she quickly led her away from the vehicle with its darkly tinted windows.

Fate let herself fall into step with her wife, not really caring where they went as long as they were together. She had fallen back into her safe mode, if things from her past were getting too dark and heavy then concentrate on Nanoha. The beautiful angel who was her future, glowing like a star and so full of life.

Street lamps had come on and a slow but steady stream of people walked along the storefronts. Holding her wife to her with an arm wrapped around her waist Fate made sure no one jostled her or caused her to misstep. With a few shops still open and their lights showcasing their wares they stopped to look at displays and even venturing into a few shops. After an hour of meandering Nanoha asked, "Where is that gelato shop you use to go to?"

Smiling at this not so innocent question Fate said, "Oh, does someone think she deserves dessert?"

Pushing her wife into a deserted nook Nanoha wrapped her arms around Fate's neck as she teased, "If I don't get dessert then neither do you. I would really hate to have to deny you your treat later on tonight."

Leaning in Fate replied, "We both know with your hormones going crazy right now there is no way you would stop me from eating you up. As soon as I get you alone tonight I am going to make love to you until you collapse from exhaustion. I need to show you how much I appreciate all you've done for me today."

Nanoha could feel Fate's breath against her neck as her mouth ghosted over her neck. Swallowing hard she tried not to think about how aroused she was getting from this simple action. Sliding her hands up into blonde tresses she held her wife in place as she kissed her senseless. Wandering hands made the heat between them rise to dangerous levels.

Pushing Nanoha away was hard but if she didn't they would be having sex in public, _again_ , and this wasn't a lightly populated garden. There was no way some passing tourist wouldn't catch them with all the delightful noises her wife made. Swallowing hard as Nanoha let her fingernails trail down her scalp, neck, shoulders and arms Fate could feel her self control weaken. The woman would be the death of her with all her teasing.

Breathless Fate said, "If you want dessert you better behave yourself."

Pouting now Nanoha said, "I changed my mind, I want Fate-chan."

Spinning her wife around in her arms to hold her from behind Fate clutched her tightly as she did her best to control herself, "Heaven help me, you're going to give me a heart attack. Now you will behave yourself or I will… will… ugh I don't know but it will be horrible."

Giggling at this Nanoha said, "I'm sorry Fate-chan but you know I can't help myself."

Taking calming breaths Fate was able to get her libido under control again, sighing at the lightning speed Nanoha could rile her up. Loosening her hold on her wife Fate took her hand and led her out of their hidey hole. The feeling of Nanoha smoothing her hair made her realize she was probably a complete rumpled mess thanks to her devilish wife. Looking over her wife more critically she smiled, the little monster looked deliciously ruffled. Anyone looking at them would immediately wonder what they'd been up too.

Pulling them aside Fate fixed her wife's hair and straightened her clothes and gladly let Nanoha return the favor. The proud smirk on Nanoha's face made it clear the woman was happy with her handiwork. Kissing her forehead Fate whispered, "Only you."

Confused by the statement Nanoha asked, "What do you mean?"

Leading her back up a small side street to a corner shop Fate said slyly, "Only you do this to me. Make me lose control and forget all the ugliness in the world."

Opening the peeling door to the gelateria Nanoha was hit with a wave of coolness and a sweet scent. Stepping inside she saw there displays for various flavors of gelato and her sweet tooth awoke with a vengeance. In the end Fate decided to order a couple of cartons in a few different flavors. Carefully balancing the order in a bag Fate teased her wife by keeping it out of her reach. The pleading looks the woman making her laugh as she hid the bag behind her back as she reached for it.

Returning to the SUV Fate finally let Nanoha have the bag and even let her have the disposable spoon. As Fate drove back to the beach house the demon enjoyed her sweet treat and was even magnanimous enough to share a few bites with Fate. Feeding Fate was a favorite pastime for Nanoha as she loved the way the woman appreciated the loving attention. As she fed her wife burgundy eyes stolen glances at her making her heart flutter.

Arriving back at the beach house Nanoha could see Alicia and Norbert working on a bonfire with a bunch of teens standing around very likely getting in the way. Shaking her head Fate got out and called to the girls, "Hey come get dessert!"

Immediately a stampede of girls ran over to her and she handed over the bag to them. For a short time the teens retreated into the house for bowls and spoons to dole out the gelato.

Nanoha gave her wife a dry look as she said, "I was hoping to taste more than one flavor tonight."

Kissing her wife's pouting lips Fate promised, "I will go back into town tomorrow and buy more. For now why don't you check on them while I help with the bonfire?"

With Fate's help the trio were able to arrange the driftwood in a stable manner that would allow airflow into the structure so it would burn evenly. By the time the teens returned the fire was beginning to crackle and lick up the logs. With blankets laid out the girls enjoyed the cooling night and gelato near the fire as they talked and laughed. Sitting on the porch on more stable chairs the elders watched them as they had their dessert also.

Reaching over Alicia poked her sister with her spoon to declare, "Since you were nice enough to bring dessert for everyone I will forgive you for your despicable behavior earlier."

Snorting Fate said, "More like you don't want me to dunk you again. You try any funny stuff Cia-nee and I promise I will take you down with me."

Taking mock offense at this Alicia put a hand to her heart as she held her spoon up in emphasis, "If I wanted to I could have gotten revenge with my eyes closed. I am far too forgiving and lenient."

Ignoring this Fate decided to take a scoop of gelato from her sister's bowl and quickly swallowed it down. The look of shocked horror at this theft made Fate grin. Unwilling to accept this violation of her precious dessert Alicia growled defensively which only led to her twin trying again. In a flash the sisters had put down their dishes and were running down the beach. Unfortunately Fate really wasn't used to running on sand and ended tripping when Alicia caught hold of her causing them both to tumble. Covered in sand and groaning in pain the pair shifted so they were lying on their backs.

Wiping her hair from her face Alicia asked, "You alright?"

Spitting out sand from her mouth Fate said in disgust, "I hate sand. Yuck."

Laughing at this Alicia said, "Serves you right for stealing my dessert."

Rolling her eyes at this Fate laughed too at the ridiculousness of the situation. This was how their partners found them, lying on the beach laughing like children covered in sand.

Nanoha looked over the pair and asked Carim, "Are you sure you want children? If I'd known how silly Fate-chan can be I might have decided she was enough to keep me busy. Now I will really have my hands full."

Carim knelt down beside her fiancee smiling, "I can't think of anyone I'd rather have children with. Alicia is going to be a wonderful parent… she thinks just like a child."

This made the group laugh and the maligned twin pout. Which was instantly dispelled when Carim leaned over to kiss her. Not wanting to stick around to watch the pair make out Nanoha reached out her hand to Fate. Taking the hand but not putting any weight into the hold Fate got up shaking off sand.

Patting down Fate Nanoha said, "Let's get you inside and cleaned up. There is no way I am letting you into bed until we get all this sand out of your hair."

~"~"~"~

Thank you for reading, please let me know your thoughts by reviewing or dropping me a PM.


	29. Chapter 29: Dawn Of A New Day

A/N: Hi all, just wanted to send a big thank you to ELFBS for all his help in beta reading this chapter. He is a slave driver but I think the quality of my writing has improved thanks to his abuse. I have the start of the next chapter in the works already, so hopefully it won't be three months before we see another update. If it is I will just blame it on the six other stories that are begging for my attention. I look forward to wrapping up one or two of them soon so they can be posted.

As for this story we still have a few things I want to get to before ending it: Alicia/Carim's wedding, the Disney trip/1st time for Vivio/Einhart, the birth of NanoFate's babies and some other minor plot points. If there is some dangling plot point you desperately need me to touch on for your satisfaction please let me know. There are a ton of characters running through this story we only meet in passing so I don't want to leave anyone dissatisfied.

Thank you all for continuing to read this story, please review as it feeds the herd of plot bunnies that have taken over my brain.

Disclaimer: I do not own MGLN or any of its characters. No profit is made from this writing.

~"~"~"~

Chapter 29: Dawn Of A New Day

Fate opened her eyes to darkness, the room she was in was unfamiliar and for a brief moment she panicked. It was only when the warm body tucked against her sighed as a soft hand squeezed her, unconsciously comforting her, that her body relaxed once more. 'How could anyone not love this woman?' Fate thought to herself, feeling her anger at Scrya for causing her beloved so much pain. In the past day cycle Nanoha had provided her with so much love and support it made her heart ache with gratitude.

After a few minutes of lying in bed staring at the ceiling her eyes adjusted to the dimness and she could see a sliver of moonlight from where the curtains hadn't been fully closed. Sliding out of bed carefully Fate went to the window, peeking through the gap she could see the dark water gently lapping at the beach. Opening the curtain slightly she stared out at the horizon, the inky black of the sky with its smattering of stars and greyish clouds seemed to blend in seamlessly with the vast dark ocean. All her life she had loved the sky, dreaming of it when locked away but never once had she seen it like this.

Pinpricks of light seemed to reflect off the dark water as if it was the sky's Earthbound twin. The colors of night were not ones she normally worked with but at this moment she was finding the various shades of blues, blacks and greys intriguing. Her hands twitched as they traced out the curve of a distant shadow unconsciously. Lost in contemplating the beautiful dark mystery before her Fate was surprised when arms curled around her.

In a sleepy voice Nanoha said, "What are you doing up Fate-chan? Come back to bed. It's cold."

Pulling her around Fate hugged her wife properly and was rewarded with a purr-like noise that just reinforced Fate's mental image of her wife being a spoiled kitten. It didn't take long before Nanoha spoke again, this time more mentally alert, "Do you want to go outside and watch the sunrise? The colors can be very beautiful."

Thinking of the evening before with the sunset and how it had been so different from her usual experience of the daily phemonoma. Looking down at her wife and knowing this quiet moment on the beach was likely the only one they would have alone for the rest of the day she made a momentous decision. Kissing her forehead Fate said, "Let's get dressed first then we can watched the sunrise together."

Opening the dresser Fate swallowed hard as she pulled out their swimsuits. Turning to Nanoha she handed her the light pink bikini she had been dying to see her wear. The gold two piece Fate held knocked the last of the sleep from Nanoha's mind. Wonder and love filled the auburn haired woman's heart as she saw Fate strip and with shaking hands put on the swimsuit. Kissing the marred shoulder blade exposed to the world Nanoha tried to give her wife the support she needed to follow through with her goal.

When dark eyes focused to watch her change she tried to make it as entertaining as possible. Her breasts were fuller than they had been when they first married and much more sensitive which made them the object of Fate's attention more often than not. The top while it covered her seemed to be straining to contain her fuller figure. Nanoha was sure Fate wouldn't be able to leave the string ties alone. When it came to putting on her bottoms the way they fit her with her growing tummy made her pout. Trying to adjust them to be comfortable but not silly looking made Fate take an interest in helping.

Running her hands over Nanoha's hips, buttocks and pelvis Fate took a great deal of pleasure in making sure the stretchy fabric covered her wife appropriately. That she also got to tease her lover and hear the slight hitch in her breath when she gave a firm cheek a squeeze was just a bonus. Picking up her lavender coverall she pulled it on and felt a little less exposed as she zipped up the front. Nanoha put on hers also but left it unzipped making it hard not to stare at the valley of her breasts which was now framed by the baby blue fabric.

Creeping down the stairs and slipping on their sandals the couple walked down the deserted beach until they were a reasonable distance from the house where they didn't have to worry about a family member spying on them unaware. Sitting down on the cool sand Fate wrapped herself around Nanoha as they watched the horizon. The deep blue lightened gradually until a bright golden glow shattered the darkness. The sky was then lit up in bright golds and reds as light stretched out turning the retreating night into purples that stole across the water like spilled paint.

Kissing Nanoha's neck when the heavenly orb cleared the sea Fate whispered, "Will you swim with me for a little while?"

Taking off their coveralls and leaving them on the beach with their sandals Nanoha could see Fate send a furtive look at her as she stood up exposed in the morning light. The bright rays reflected off her golden hair and highlighted the pale scars on her body. Nanoha had seen many different defensive responses when put in stressful situations but at that moment it was like her beloved really was stripped bare. The fear of rejection was almost bleeding from her pain filled eyes.

Wrapping her arms around Fate's neck Nanoha pulled her down for a kiss. When she pulled away her wife was breathless and the pain in her eyes was replaced with love. Whispering in her ear Nanoha said, "Follow me my love."

The water was cold at that hour but Nanoha ignored this as she dove into the surf. She had barely made it in shoulder deep when she was caught by her wife. Pulled into the hollow of Fate's body as wandering hands skimmed up and down her sides. When she felt the tie for her top come loose she wondered how it happened as she was currently trying to prevent one hand from entering her bottoms as the other held her in place against Fate.

It was only when Fate bit the back of her neck gently to make her squirm that she realized her devious blonde must have undone the top tie with her teeth. Nanoha made a mental note to never underestimate her wife's ability to strip her naked. As a hand moved up her torso to her exposed breast she moaned at the loving teasing touches. Plucking at each sensitive nipple in turn as she continued to leave biting kisses on her neck and shoulder Fate was slowly driving Nanoha insane. Desperate for released she went from actively preventing Fate's hand from entering her bottoms to trying to find the best angle for her to touch.

Growling at her wife Nanoha turned in her arms for a proper kiss as she hooked one arm around Fate's neck. Pulling her wife's top down she was able to expose pink nipples to the cool air causing them to pebble. Wishing she could get closer but her pregnancy preventing it Nanoha began to whimper at the unfairness of the situation. Suddenly she was being hoisted up and being held in place with one arm against Fate's torso.

Slipping her hand between their bodies and not caring about the difficulty of the angle Fate worked her fingers into Nanoha's needy body. Thrusting into her as Nanoha withered and writhed trying to increase the friction. To further stabilize herself Nanoha clung to Fate's shoulders burying her wife's face in her cleavage as she tried to arch her hips to increase her pleasure.

Suckling like a starving babe on sensitive nipples Fate smirked when she felt Nanoha's core tighten and heard her moans. Looking up she was blessed with Nanoha's eyes meeting her own, the love and desire each felt in the moment reflected back a thousand fold in that intimate glance. It was only when Fate shifted her hand so her lover's clit rubbed against her palm as she continued to thrust deeply searching for her perfect spot that the sensations overwhelmed her. Closing her eyes Nanoha's body went rigid as she cried out Fate's name then exhausted she sagged against her lover.

Holding Nanoha tenderly against her Fate cooed words of love and devotion in her ear as her wife tried to regain her strength. Finally Nanoha found the breath to speak, "I love you. I wish I had the energy to repay the favor right this moment but I feel completely wasted."

Worried she had pushed her wife too hard Fate wiped back wet bangs and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead before offering, "Do you need me to carry you back to the house?"

Giggling at the gentleness of her lover Nanoha leaned into Fate and enjoyed a moment of closeness before yawning, "I can walk back but maybe Fate-chan can help me wash my hair before we take a little nap."

As much as it went against Fate's natural inclinations she helped her wife put her top back on and straighten her bottoms. Nanoha despite being tired took the opportunity to tease Fate's breasts as she helped her wife get presentable.

Hugging in Nanoha, Fate whispered, "You're supposed to be tired. Don't tease me if you're going to leave me unsatisfied."

Kissing Fate's neck Nanoha responded, "I would never leave you unsatisfied," then her hands began to explore the ridges on her wife's back.

As Nanoha continued to kiss and nip at her neck Fate felt all her strength melt away. The tenderness of each touch as it glided across wet skin left her shaking and increasingly aroused. With one arm hooked around Fate's neck Nanoha anchored herself to her wife as she let her left hand tease around the two piece swimsuit that guarded against her attack. It was only when Fate gave a whimpering growl and forced down her top again and placed Nanoha's hand on her breast that things really heated up.

Honestly Nanoha was tired and didn't have as much energy as she would have had with a full night's sleep. The frantic aerobic exercise she had also enjoyed left her on bare minimum when it came to energy but none of that mattered. She had seen the need in Fate's eyes and the creeping worry. Her lover needed to know she was still wanted and desired, even in the unflinching light of day.

One handed and going maddeningly slow Nanoha teased sensitive nipples which she couldn't help suckling when Fate's breath became labored. This freed her hand to delve lower, first across the firm stomach with its pattern of pain then to the core of Fate's being. Pushing aside Fate's bottoms she let her fingers skim across slick skin.

As Nanoha continued her slow torture Fate buried her face in Nanoha's hair. Trying and failing to hold back her moans of pleasure. When the teasing got to be too much she begged, "Please. Oh god, please touch me Nanoha. I need you inside me."

Sliding in Fate's welcoming body was like coming home. Sighing with happiness Nanoha said, "I love you," then began to slowly build her wife up to a screaming orgasm.

When the moment came Fate was sure they'd be caught because she'd never be able to control her voice. Nanoha had played her body like a violin and was now coming to the crescendo. Instead of waking up the whole city with her scream she was kissed and her cries swallowed up by her lover.

Breaking the kiss Nanoha smiled at the dazed look Fate was now sporting. Kissing the bridge of her nose Nanoha teased, "Maybe I should go slow more often. You seem to have liked that a lot."

Catching her breath and scattered thoughts Fate replied, "I like everything you do to me. But if you do it like that too often you'll end up killing me."

Giggling at this Nanoha said, "Maybe now you'll behave yourself and make love to me without the heart attack."

Shaking her head Fate kissed her wife softly before teasing, "Nope. Now I think I'll go slow more often. I want you to feel my love," then in a more serious tone she whispered, "I could feel you inside me. Filling me up, drowning me in your love and I… I'm greedy. I want more…"

Cut off by a kiss Fate let herself melt into it. Seconds or minutes passed as they both poured their love into the passionate embrace. Only breaking it when the heat between them grew to the point of combustion. Panting Nanoha licked her lips before saying, "I like it when you're greedy Fate-chan. Never stop, it makes me feel needed. You're normally so in control that I can't help wanting you to show me more of your needy side."

Smiling softly Fate pointed out, "Surely you're getting tired of dealing with my neediness. I've been nothing but a bundle of nerves since we decided to come on this trip. I've fussed over you and made a complete pain of myself."

Hugging her wife Nanoha sighed, "I like it when you fuss over me. You make me feel like I'm the most important person in the world."

Squeezing Nanoha tight Fate whispered, "You are."

~"~"~"~

Alicia Testarossa woke up feeling very content. Turning her head she saw the reason why, tousled blonde hair and the face of a beatific saint. Letting her hand skim across the long naked expanse of smooth skin and loving the little moaning noise her sleeping fiancee made. Shifting carefully she opened the dresser drawer and found the massaging oil she kept there. Pouring a small amount into the cup of her hand she warmed it between her palms. Moving to straddle her sleeping bedmate she began to rub the oil over her back and buttocks. She especially liked the last bit as she had found she loved the feel of the tender flesh.

When sleepy blue eyes turned to look at her Alicia smiled and increased the pressure of her massage. She loved this woman so much and wanted to spoil her. Fate wasn't the only twitterpated Testarossa. After a few minutes of enjoying the massage Carim rolled over and exposed her naked upper body to the dark eyes of her lover. The way the younger woman swallowed hard as she stared at her breasts made her nipples harden and her core tighten.

Taking Alicia's hands she placed them on her tender peaks before teasing, "You aren't finished with the massage are you? I could use more of your attention here."

Alicia didn't need to be told twice as she began to move her hands. Leaning over she added her mouth to the worship of her beloved's body. Feeling a rush of pride flood through her when Carim arched up into her. Better was the tugging on her hair by those wonderfully skilled hands. Moving lower she decided to give her soon-to-be-bride a real reason to moan. Feasting on the sweet sticky center she lost herself in pleasuring her woman.

When the fluttering of muscles began and the keening cry of release came Alicia felt like she'd just conquered the world. Lifting her head she saw the beautiful flush of satisfaction on Carim's pale cheeks. Licking her lips she said in a throaty voice, "You are so perfect."

Pulling Alicia up to her Carim kissed her, loving the taste of herself on the soft mouth she adored. Flipping them over she took her time teasing Alicia, leaving a number of love bites on her. Leaning into her lover's prone body Carim slid a finger inside the slick canal grinning at the way muscles desperately clenched at her. Whispering into the delicate shell of a perfectly formed ear she encouraged her lover to make more noise. She needed those moans and sighs like she needed air or water.

When Alicia came with a moaning call of her name it brought a satisfied smirk to her lips. Bending to kiss her lover she said, "Good morning Cia."

Holding Carim in place to deepen the kiss before breaking it the devilish twin sighed, "Every morning with you is a good morning."

Rolling her eyes at this Carim pulled away to start dressing for the day saying, "I have no clue which of you Testarossas have the worse lines. You're ridiculous."

Grabbing her lover around the waist and biting playfully at her side which earned her a squeal of surprise from the older woman Alicia grinned up at her, "I will have you know both Fate and I are completely serious. We just say what we feel."

Giving the teasing brat a light smack to the shoulder Carim said, "Maybe Nanoha is right, we don't need children. I have no idea how I will deal with more than one of you if our daughters inherit your cheesy charm."

Pouting at this Alicia said, "I thought you were looking forward to knocking me up."

Looking down into burgundy eyes that hid their own share of pain Carim pet her cheek before responding tenderly, "Do you really want me too? I don't want to rush this and ruin what we have. You are more than enough for me…" then disappointment was visible instantly which made Carim push her lover onto her back before crawling back on top of her. Kissing her softly then down her neck, to her perfect breasts then to the flat of her stomach where she stopped to rub the soft skin and said, "I want you to have my baby so badly. I want everyone to know you are mine and how much I love you. If you want to do this right away or in a few years I can wait. You have so many things you still want to do, there is no rush."

Threading her hands into silky blonde hair Alicia said, "I want to do this immediately so our children can grow up with Fate and Nanoha's. I want our family to grow, for so long is was just me and Fate. I need this Carebear, or do you think I still need to grow up?"

Moving back up to her fiancee's mouth Carim kissed her hard before saying, "You will be a wonderful mother just as you are. When we get back from our honeymoon we can get started, I can't wait to see you pregnant with my baby. You will be so beautiful."

Turning them over so she was on top Alicia smiled happily, nuzzling into the soft skin of Carim's neck she whispered, "I never thought I'd be a mom. Of course I never thought I'd enjoy being dominated by someone either, you turned my world upside down and shook it. Thank you for that, thank you for wanting me, the real me."

Laughing at this Carim ran her hands down Alicia's back as the devious blonde began to suck at her collarbone, "Umm, oh yes, I can tell you are so docile and subservient to me."

Grinning Alicia moved lower as she tried to maintain an innocent tone, "I know, it is terrible how I have lost my head and heart completely to you. I am now mere putty in your hands," as she said the last bit she squeezed tender breasts and began to suckle their pink tips.

Arching up Carim let out a shuddering breath, "Oh God, Cia please…"

Letting go of the perky nipple in her mouth with a pop Alicia smirked, "Yes my mistress? What is your desire?"

Flipping them over the mistress decided she was done with her servant being so willful. Rubbing their bodies together as she kissed her burgundy eyed devil Carim slid a hand between them. Finding her fiancee was ready for her she immediately filled her with two fingers causing a groan of pleasure to reverberate against her lips. Letting her thumb ride the swollen nub that was begging for attention Carim pounded into her naughty lover. When she felt the fluttering of hidden muscles and Alicia's breathing became erratic she stopped all movement which caused a pitiful moan and plea of, "No! Please...Ah I need you. Please Carim."

Shifting so their centers were pressed together Carim began to move slowly making her captive moan, "Faster."

Drawing out the torture the more Alicia begged until she was at the end of her tether Carim finally began to move faster hitting the perfect spot again and again making her lover turn into a moaning mess. When Alicia came the fluttering of muscles and warmth pushed Carim over the edge and she collapsed onto her fiancee. Breathing hard she asked, "Was that dominating enough for you?"

Pulling Carim closer Alicia's voice was rough as she said, "Perfect."

~"~"~"~

Stumbling down the stairs Einhart was yawning sleepily, she prayed her family wasn't awake yet. She really did not want to deal with any of those jokers this early in the morning, a cup of coffee and some toast at the very least was needed before she'd have the fortitude to deal with Alicia. Seeing the kitchen empty she whispered thanks to whatever god had blessed her. Moving around quietly she made breakfast for both herself and Vivio. The blonde was still curled in a ball under their blanket but would be appreciative when she returned with food.

The sound of the front door opening made her leave the counter where she had a stack of toast growing along with the jar of nutella. Poking just the bare minimum of her head out she saw to her surprise Fate in a coverall. Causing her eyebrows to shoot up as she parsed out what that meant, considering Nanoha's own baby blue coverall was half unzipped and was showing her pink bikini that was haphazardly tied she had to assume Fate was wearing a swimsuit. The teen was having problems concentrating with the amount of skin on display from her girlfriend's mother, thankfully Nanoha's outfit still covered what was important, though it made her wonder what Vivio would look like pregnant.

Ducking back into the kitchen Einhart slapped her cheeks. 'No, bad thoughts. We are far too young to be thinking about stuff like that.'

Returning to the counter she finished breakfast but the strange thoughts of some future day where Vivio was pregnant stayed in her head. Opening the door to their room she could see her blonde bundle of trouble had migrated to her side of the bed and wrapped herself around her pillow. Setting down the tray with their food Einhart moved closer to the bed. Touching her cheek Einhart wondered if she'd be the person this beautiful being married and had children with. The deep ache that came with the uncertainty made her pledge to never give Vivio a reason to leave her, she wanted to be the only one to touch this wonderful woman.

Mismatched eyes fluttered open to see the serious look in stormy orbs, yawning the blonde reached out to her girlfriend to pull her down. The squeak of dismay Einhart made when she was toppled over by the needy grip made Vivio giggle, "Umm, it's too early for you to be making such faces. Come back to bed."

Trying her best not to crush the girl who was now squirming under her and apparently trying to burrow her way into a more precarious position Einhart exclaimed, "Vi! I'm going to squish you, you gotta let me go."

Instead of being released Einhart found herself being gripped tighter and pulled down so her body was pressing against the warm form beneath her as soft lips began kissing her neck. A voice that was so seductive it made her brain melt spoke in her ear, "I want to feel you against me. I love waking up and finding you next to me."

The feeling of gentle hands slipping into her shirt to run up and down her back as those devilish lips sucked on her neck made her groan. It was only when she gave up fighting to hold herself up and actually rested her weight on Vivio that the girl beneath her stopped teasing her but instead rolled them over. Blonde hair spilled around her and blocked out the room leaving her with only the view of her girlfriend's smiling face.

Curious Vivio asked, "So what had you so serious this morning?"

Blushing at being reminded of her foolishness Einhart wiggled a little in a pathetic attempt to escape or distract. This only earned her a raised eyebrow and the feeling of Vivio's hips pressing down to pin her to the bed. Sneaky hands moved to Einhart's sides as the blonde said, "Spill it Ein-chan or I will tickle it out of you."

Grabbing the threatening hands EInhart said, "That won't be necessary. I… I was just thinking of something silly. I saw Fate and Nanoha come back in from having a swim when I was downstairs. You mom makes Fate really happy and soon the baby will be born. It made me think about you."

Threading their fingers together Vivio urged her girlfriend on when she seemed to run out of words, "What about me Ein?"

Looking over her captor Einhart felt her heart begin to ache again, "I… um… well… I couldn't help thinking about how you'd look pregnant. I know we are way too young for that but in five or ten years… I can't help wondering…umph!"

Vivio shut her girlfriend's mouth with a hard kiss then sat back up to say, "We are young but I can tell you right now the only person I see myself having a family with is YOU. I love you Ein. So before you start angsting again you better believe I plan on getting you pregnant one day."

Blushing hard at this Einhart gaped at her girlfriend. This made Vivio giggle as she poked Einhart's cheek, "If you want we can take turns but understand one thing, you will carry my baby someday," there was a possessive look to her jewel-like eyes which made her lover realize this was no joke.

Running her hands up smooth thighs Einhart said breathlessly, "Okay. I'll look forward to it."

Now it was Vivio's turn to blush, she'd expected her bashful girlfriend to bluster and squirm but instead she was now looking at her with hopeful expectation. Looking down the long length of Einhart's body she couldn't help thinking about what she'd look like rounded with life. Collapsing to hide her face against her lover's shoulder Vivio was beginning to feel overwhelmed by all her emotions.

Smirking at this response Einhart hugged her close and teased, "First though, you will have to marry me. I won't let you make me a scarlet woman."

Vivio immediately began smacking her girlfriend's arm as she muttered, "Baka Einhart!"

Kissing her attacker's temple Einhart said, "Yeah, but I'm your idiot."

Shifting so they were curled together on their sides but still pressed close they laid quietly for a few moments enjoying the silence. It was the smell of coffee though that had the blonde girl moving again.

Wiggling like a happy puppy she looked at her girlfriend and asked, "Did you bring me a cup of coffee or is that yours?"

The cuteness was overwhelming, immediately Einhart slid out of bed and brought the tray to the girl. Luckily the drinks were still warm so they could enjoy the small meal together. Rinsing down the last bite of nutella toast with a gulp of coffee Vivio set her cup on the tray then moved it to her side table. At the corner of Einhart's mouth was a small smudge of nutella and she planned on having that as dessert. With mock stealthiness she moved to pounce on her prey. Einhart clearly saw what she was doing but found she couldn't do anything to prevent the onslaught.

With a devious smile the girl toppled her girlfriend once again but this time Vivio just wanted to play with Einhart. Moving in she first kissed at the chocolatey smudge before darting out her tongue to clean it. Embarrassed by the feeling of being licked clean by her gloating girlfriend Einhart tried to wipe her mouth with her hand. She was too late, the baby devil had already gotten her treat. Giggling Vivio licked at her again just for the pure fun of it and the squeaking noise her victim made urged her to do it again. Soon the pair was tumbling across the bed as they tickled and licked at each other.

The sound of the door opening was lost in the noise of their game but the incredibly "loud" noise of a camera capturing the scene made them both turn their head. Standing in the doorway was Dearche who was making it worse every second that passed by engaging the shutter of her camera over and over. Moving the camera into different and sometimes outrageous angles as she tried to get a little more skin exposed. Normally it'd be Einhart moving like a lightning bolt to deal with such nonsense. Instead it was Vivio and Dearche was about to learn why that was the worse case scenario for her.

Blonde hair tousled, dressed in only a tank top and a pair of boy shorts Vivio looked like most teenage boys' wet dream. At that moment though she was proving to be Dearch's worst nightmare as she carefully took hold of the camera in one hand and pointed with the other. Her voice was strangely calm but intimidating, "I'm going to have to take this from you for a bit. You seem to have taken some pictures that I don't appreciate. Don't worry, I won't hurt your camera. In the future though Dearche I would point out that it is only polite to knock before entering someone's room and asking before taking pictures."

In the hall witnessing this were the two other sisters, Levi and Stern both could sense the menacing aura coming off the blonde and decided their sister could deal with this herself began backing away. The movement had Vivio turning to see the pair, tilting her head she studied them for a moment then said, "Do me a favor, keep your sister under control. I would really hate to give Fate a reason to get upset."

Normally Levi would find girls attractive when they were angry, teasing about how hot they looked. Vivio looked hot alright, like a pissed off devil with the fires of hell blazing behind her. Swallowing hard she nodded her acceptance of the demonic girl's request and was thankful when Stern proved to be the brave one and grabbed Dearche by the collar and dragged her away. The trio nearly fell over themselves to escape the wrath of the blonde Takamachi devil.

Walking back into her room with the camera Vivio shut the door with a purposeful click and ignoring house rules locked it. She had zero interest in letting her girlfriend be ogled by the trio. While Levi might have a crush on her that didn't stop the idiot from taking appreciative looks at Einhart whenever an opportunity presented itself. That wandering eye would have been the number one reason why she'd never date the girl if she wasn't with Einhart. Her girlfriend might know other girls were attractive but she didn't actively drool over them in her presence.

Sitting up on the bed staring at her in awe was Einhart, the way she was breathing harder from excitement made her tank stretch fetchingly across her chest highlighting the hardening peaks. Violet and blue were now darker than normal adding to the evidence that her girlfriend was now aroused from her little alpha display. Placing the camera on the dresser Vivio then made her way over to the bed hips wiggling exaggeratedly which caused her entranced audience to take a deep breath to try and calm herself. Crawling up the bed and putting her cleavage on full display she found the power to tease Einhart thrilling.

When she finally reached the girl she hovered so her lips were just centimeters from the pair begging for contact. Brushing back a messy lock of Einhart's hair she whispered, "Do you like it when I'm territorial? You should know I've been holding back, there have been so many times I've wanted to wrap you in my arms and scream, 'MINE.'"

With her last word Vivio found Einhart's patience snap and they were kissing again. Her normally calm and in control girlfriend grabbing her hands and placing them under her shirt. Shocked by this but not about to let a chance pass her by Vivio let her hands explore the soft skin of Einhart's stomach before venturing higher to her rib cage. Her timidity earned her a growl, then a nip to her bottom lip as her hands were forced higher.

Breathlessly Einhart said, "I love it when you get territorial. It makes me want you to touch me. I want you to mark me, please Vi."

Vivio suddenly realized how they went from playful teasing to Einhart becoming her willing sex slave. Her normally ultra confident girlfriend really was a bottom and liked it when she let her inner intimidating dominant side out to play. She had originally thought Einhart would be the top in their relationship, she'd just need some time to get over her shyness but eventually she'd take her rightful place on top. It was the reason why she'd let Einhart set the pace of their relationship since she seemed to be the natural lead. Why she thought Einhart would be a top in the first place was laughable, both Alicia and Fate were bottoms. Power bottoms sometimes but without their partner's acceptance they both became insecure messes. Fate shut down and Alicia overcompensated with outrageous behavior.

Pulling off Einhart's shirt she bent her head to the girl's breast, finding the perfect spot that'd be hidden when she wore her swimsuit, she pressed her lips to the delicate skin. Leaving a raspberry like mark on the tender skin before saying, "Mine."

The groaning response of, "Jeezus Vi, you are going to be the death of me. How am I supposed to control myself when you tease like that?"

Smirking at her lust dazed girlfriend Vivio said, "I've decided, you're mine. When we go on our mini-vacation I'm going to make sure every inch of you understands that."

Gulping at that statement Einhart found she liked the idea of letting Vivio lead enticing. There were so many things she wanted to do but lacked the bravery to push for. If there was one thing Vivio had in spades it was bravery. She went after what she wanted with single minded determination just like her mom.

Pulling her blonde lover down for a kiss Einhart whispered in anticipation, "I look forward to it," then closed the gap.

~"~"~"~

Showered and dressed for the day Fate and Nanoha came downstairs where huddled around the table the trio of sisters were still trying to recover from their brush with the devil. Seeing Nanoha all three shrunk down more as they tried to avoid gaining the White Devil's attention. Seeing this Fate wondered what the sisters had done to upset her angelic wife. Pouring out a cup of decaffeinated coffee for Nanoha and herself they took a seat across from the siblings.

Sipping at her fake coffee and mentally counting down the days until Nanoha could have caffeine again which would in turn mean she could too Fate wondered who would crack first. Stern looked from Nanoha to Dearche her eyes fearful and lips twitching as if she wanted to say something. Nanoha was equally interested in what the girls were hiding, obviously they did or saw something that they shouldn't have and were now working their way towards admitting their sins.

Just before the eldest was about to snap Alicia entered the kitchen with a loud, "GOOD MORNING FAMILY!"

Groaning at the loud noise Dearche turned to the older twin and said, "Christ you are annoying in the morning! Don't you know how to greet people in a normal tone?"

Raising an eyebrow at this the blonde came over and ruffling the grumpy girl's hair said, "Awww did someone bite off more than she can chew? Poor widdle baby. Now you know it's not smart to play with devil."

This comment immediately caught Fate's attention and now Dearche was on the receiving end of two pairs of disconcerting red eyes. When Fate leaned in across the table the silver haired girl cracked, "I...I went into Vivio and Einhart's room and took pictures of them."

The look of disapproval in Fate's eyes hurt while Alicia's cackle rubbed salt in her wounds. The geeky twin said, "Baby White Devil nearly had these three needing a change of pants. I swear I haven't seen anything so awe inspiring since Fate terrorized a group of men flirting with me. I must say NanoFate is doing a wonderful job creating a superweapon of terror."

Glaring at her sister-in-law Nanoha said, "If you saw this why didn't you intervene?"

Squishing Dearche's cheeks as she made kissy faces at her Alicia replied comically, "Because this little rascal needed to be put in her place. You don't mess with the bull unless you are willing to deal with the horns. She has been baiting the girls ever since we got here, trying to see how far she can push them. My darling Einhart is too much of a lady to ever initiated a fight, though she has the skills to end it in her favor, which is why this idiot has been careful not to get physical with them. So our resident lovebugs have been doing their best to ignore this gnat's worst behavior in hopes of maintaining the peace. This morning she crossed the line."

Turning to look at the two other sisters Alicia gave them a wicked smile, "All the while you two have been letting her get away with it. Levi has been enjoying the show and ogling the girls every chance she gets. But it's you Stern that I don't understand… Why are you letting her do this?"

Flushing guiltily Stern tried to get up but Carim, who had followed Alicia in silently, placed her hands on her shoulders and pressed her back into her chair. Eyes darting everywhere trying to find an escape she made the mistake of looking at Fate and the woman's whole stance told her it was time to spill the beans. Then to make matters worse her father entered the kitchen, he instantly sensed the seriousness of the mood and that his children were in the center of it.

Norbert Starks was a quiet laid back man but when his children caused trouble he was the first one in line to make sure they paid their dues. Adding to the pressure to speak Norbert said, "I don't know what's going on here but if you did something it's best you own up now before things get out of hand."

Looking down at her hands Stern clenched them together before she said, "It was just Dearche being silly, I didn't see any harm in it."

"Bullshit. Try again, and let's not drag this out," Alicia said in a tone that was no longer jokey.

Biting her lip Stern shuddered then said quietly, "I was jealous…"

That shocked most everyone, Stern had not shown any interest in either younger girl from day one so how could she be jealous. The muttering was silenced by Fate saying, "Explain yourself."

Hunching down more in her seat Stern mumbled, "I was just you know… they annoyed me… it was like they were flaunting their relationship. If they weren't so flashy about it then Dearche wouldn't have targeted them."

Rubbing his hands over his thinning pate Norbert sighed, "Christ, Stern you know better. Dearche has always pushed the limits and counts on you to keep her from going too far. Maybe it's wrong of her to use you as her conscience but she is so reckless otherwise. I just don't know what to do with you girls."

Fate was angry, she trusted the Starks and now she learned they had been targeting her daughters. Maybe it was harmless fun but if Dearche managed to get a photo of the girls in an inappropriate situation or a state of undress and it made it online it could ruin their lives. What could be seen as a joke between friends and family could be misconstrued or used by strangers for nefarious means. The only reason she wasn't calling for the whole family to be ejected from the house was she understood where this behavior was coming from.

Standing up she said, "Girls, I think it's time we took a walk."

Everyone stared worriedly at the tense blonde woman but no one dared naysay her suggestion. The trio stood up and followed the stiffly walking figure. They were back on the beach which helped Fate calm down again thinking about Nanoha and their early morning excursion.

Stopping in front of the water she took a deep breath then said, "You girls don't know much about my life, outside what your parents told you and local gossip. I wonder if Alicia and I have been bad examples for you and what that means for our future children. Our popping in and out of your lives must have been confusing, especially with my change in behavior."

The girls shifted nervously, not knowing what to say or if they were even expected to say something. Then the imposing blonde turned to look at each of them in turn as she said, "I truly love each of you as family. If I didn't, at this very moment I would be telling your father to pack your bags and to leave."

Hearing this made Dearche burst into tears and collapse onto the sandy ground. Levi's own lip was now trembling as she considered her own behavior. Stern though stood firm, as if she could somehow be vindicated. Seeing this Fate sighed, "Jealousy is a dangerous thing Stern. The fact that you recognized the feeling and yet fed it and gave it free rein worries me. I too had to face down that feeling on many occasions growing up. How could I not with Alicia as my Twin Sister? She is everything I should have been, her love affairs, her ability to converse with others so easily, her fearlessness. There were so many times I felt that darkness try and consume me, it wanted me to hate her, to hurt her. I suspect she'd have accepted my anger and would have let me destroy us both."

The frown on Stern's face at least showed the girl was thinking about her words as the younger sisters both knelt together sniffling back their tears trying to listen. Licking her lips Fate tried to best explain herself, "I see a lot of myself in you Stern. You take care of others and put them ahead of you without expectation of reward or thanks. Which is wrong, you should be thanked, especially by your family. The fact that both your younger sisters are so spoiled and depend so heavily on you is not a good thing. Just as the fact that you could be made jealous by seeing two teens in love makes me wonder how little you really live for yourself. I am the last person in the world to point fingers at people for unhealthy behavior. So I will instead tell you what I felt at your age."

Kneeling down to pick up a shell Fate played with it as she spoke, "I… I was scared. Terrified actually. I was abused during those formative years when little girls are usually dressing up and giggling over their dream wedding to prince charming. Every stage of my life since then has been filled with fear for me. Even my happiness now is tinged with it as I fear for the future. That's the thing though, everyone lives in fear to greater or lesser extent. Jealously is born from fear, the fear of rejection and the fear of being found insufficient."

Closing her eyes and just feeling the sea breeze for a moment Fate took a deep breath before releasing it, "Are you in love with someone Stern?"

A few short months ago the girl might have claimed she was in love with the blonde artist but since the wedding things had changed. The object of her affection was very different from Fate personality-wise but had the same gentle air. Of course the woman was someone who probably didn't even know she was alive. Having only exchanged a dozen words at most and since their first meeting she'd become a stalker of sorts. The woman was so close and yet would always be out of reach.

Avoiding answering was an answer in and of itself. Dearche looked up at her sister and in a tone of voice devoid of teasing said, "It's that eyepatch woman, isn't it? You keep going to the village and spend all that time at the coffee shop so you can watch her. And don't say you go because it's a quiet place to read, you spend more time studying that woman's patterns than anything else ever since you met at the wedding."

This was enough of a clue to discover who Stern was crushing on, thinking about the woman she had to admit she could be intimidating for someone so small. She'd also be an unlikely candidate for some of the more lovey-dovey behavior the teens had been engaging in. Stern was still young and might want to enjoy the more flashy displays of woman in question was the last person who'd do anything childish or silly in public so that barred half the things Einhart was willing, able and complicit in doing all for Vivio's entertainment. So not only was Stern pinning over an older woman but she was bitter over the fact that even if they got together she'd never have the same romance as the teens in front of her.

Wanting to have a more serious conversation with the stubborn girl Fate said, "Dearche, Levin, we will discuss your behavior in detail later. For now, go inside and have breakfast. Leave my daughters alone in the meantime."

None of the sisters failed to notice Fate called both teens her daughter, which made Dearche wince since she knew how protective she could be. As the figures disappeared Fate took hold of Stern's hand and lead her farther away from the house. When they got to the rocky outcrop she pushed the girl towards a boulder to sit down. Perching on one nearby Fate wondered if she stayed silent what the young woman would say.

Focusing her eyes on the tide she waited and after three minutes which felt like an eternity Stern finally said, "Why is life so fucked up?"

This was a shocker, Stern never swore but the exasperation in her voice told of her frustration. Deciding to answer the real question Fate said, "You know falling in love is the easy part, it's being in love and maintaining it that is the real hard part. Going into a relationship with false expectations is the best way to ruin things. While I admit your heart's choice can be… hmm serious, she isn't as ridge as you might think. She comes from a large family and I've seen them be quite loving to each other. You might not get the same youthful reckless love affair as you would if you dated someone your own age or younger but if you do somehow capture her heart you will never have to worry about being in a loveless relationship."

Picking at the algae on the stone Stern asked, "How do you know her?"

Sighing Fate said, "We have an unusual acquaintanceship, I hardly know her but as a silent partner in her business I tend to get invited to events, reciprocating that generousness for the wedding was expected. I've exchanges a handful of words with her over the years, nothing of any importance."

Chewing on her lip Stern tasted blood before she finally asked, "Do you know if she even likes women? Would I even have a chance?"

Standing up and moving to sit beside the girl Fate took her hand before answering with a question of her own, "How well do you know her?"

Shrugging Stern said, "I talked to her a bit at the wedding. She was really intelligent and funny. Unlike that friend of Nanoha's Vita who gets all fussy over her height she was really cool about me trying to prevent her getting a drink since I thought she was underage."

Fate laughed a little at this and her smile lingered as she said, "Ah yes that does sound like her. She has a very healthy outlook on life, far better than mine. According to her parents she lost her eye when she was still a teen but never once let it stop her from reaching her objectives. Of all the damaged women I've met she has the best sense of humor about her injuries."

Frowning at this wording Stern squeezed Fate's hand hard as she said, "She isn't damaged. I've watched her, she is amazing."

Nodding her head at this correction Fate replied, "From what Alicia has been able to determine she is bisexual but seems to lean towards women."

Horrified that Alicia might have had something to do with her crush Stern asked, "Um how close were they?"

Shaking the hand in her own Fate said with a smirk, "Not that close. Every time they crossed paths Cinque always had a partner. I don't know if that was on purpose or just luck on her part but it was that fact that kept Alicia from pursuing her. Honestly I'm glad Cinque and Alicia never did have an affair, it would have made my business dealings with her complicated. That woman takes her relationships seriously and it could have gotten ugly."

Letting out a long breath of relief Stern said, "I really like her but the idea of dating one of Alicia's exes is pretty unnerving. I am a complete noob when it comes to relationships and um stuff, how could I compete with that experience?"

Rolling her eyes at this concern Fate said, "Oh I'm sure it wouldn't be all that hard. Just refrain from using cheesy pickup lines and being absolutely ridiculous with so-called romantic gestures. As for the other thing, if it gets to that point all I can say is practice makes perfect. Don't be afraid to ask your partner what they like or to speak your own mind. In the end you can't really fail unless you stop caring."

Blushing but deciding since Fate brought it up it was okay to ask, "Um is that how it went with you?"

Giving the young woman a penetrating stare for a long moment Fate answered, "Let's just say communication is something Nanoha and I concentrate a lot of attention on, it's vital to a healthy relationship. In and out of the bedroom."

Accepting that deflection Stern thought about the situation then sighed, "Honestly Fate, I'm tired of being Levin and Dearche's keeper. Then those girls kept flaunting their lovey-dovey behavior and it was like salt in a wound. When you add in my stress over Cinque, well I just gave up trying to rein them in. Everyone has what I want but there is no hope for me finding love. So I let Dearche act like a monster just so I could get a small measure of vicarious pleasure from ruining their happiness."

Looking out over the water Fate asked, "Have you ever thought about moving out? Getting a job in town away from the Retreat and your family. Until your sisters learn how to live without you cleaning up all their messes they won't ever grow up. I was being serious earlier Stern, you deserve to be appreciated for what you do. You're not your mom, you don't have to try and fill that role for anyone. I urge you not to try, she died of a heart attack from all the stress. Before you attempt to pursue a relationship with someone else I recommend learning who you are without your family smothering you."

Shaking her head at this and getting up Stern said, "Impossible, I...I"

Rising also Fate poked the girl's cheek as she said, "Nothing is impossible. I can help you with this. I can't force you to live your life but I can support whatever decisions you make."

Seeing the real care and concern in Fate's burgundy eyes Stern burst into tears. She couldn't help thinking she really didn't deserve this kindness as she felt Fate's arms close around her. It was so strange to accept comfort from the older woman who had always been in her eyes so much more fragile and weak than herself. The fact that Fate was now capable of reaching out to others to do so was all down to Nanoha's support. The whole situation seemed to reinforce the knowledge that she wasn't as strong as she made herself out to be, she really was just a child after all just like Fate had pointed out.

The sound of a throat clearing had the pair look over and Stern saw Nanoha standing there with a concerned look on her face. It wasn't jealousy or distrust but actual concern for her, not Fate, but the person who'd been such a brat and pain to her. Then the woman came over, she pet her short hair and asked gently, "Are you okay now dear?"

Hanging her head she answered, "I'm so sorry for everything. I..I…"

A finger pressed to her lips to shush her and Nanoha said, "Honey, I know it's hard to accept help. Even harder to admit you need it. You've lived your whole life in a small bubble concerned with your family's happiness. Now is the time for you to live your own life. Let Fate-chan help you."

Tears hanging to her dark lashes Stern said in a choked up voice, "I don't deserve…"

Gripping the girl's head Nanoha knocked their foreheads together which made her wince. In a bossy tone Stern was sure Fate adored the older woman said, "This isn't about deserving help or not. You are Fate-chan's family. Now then, let's talk about what we can do."

The adoring look Fate gave Nanoha from behind Stern made it well worth it. The last thing she wanted to do was make her wife choose between the people she loved. Fate deserved to have each and every one of them in her life. If helping to ensure their happiness added to Fate's then that was all their justification Nanoha would ever need to lend a hand.


	30. Chapter 30: Maturing Relationships

A/N: Sorry about the delay in updating, just been distracted with life. As promised though I will finish this story. Big thanks to ELFBS for cracking the whip on me and beta reading the story. Hopefully this chapter brings us all closer to a happy conclusion. In the meantime I will be more hyper than a kid at Christmas with Reflections coming out in a couple of weeks. Thank you all for reading this and please leave a review to let me know what y'all think.

Disclaimer: I do not own MGLN or its characters, nor do I make any monetary gain from my writing.

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Einhart groaned as her girlfriend tossed a blanket over her head, 'Seriously Vi?!' she thought to herself as she pulled it off only for it to be pushed back over. The blonde was searching for something under the covers frantically. Seeing the worried look Einhart gave her a poke before asking, "What are you looking for?"

Biting her lip Vivio said, "Those earrings Fate bought for me. I lost one, I wanted to wear them today and now I can't find the set!"

Amused by the puppy eyes her girlfriend was now giving her, as if she'd be able to magically pull the item from the ether, Einhart said, "I'll help you look but let me move the suitcase first. It'll make it easier to search for it."

Shutting the case and moving it to the doorway Einhart then shook out the comforter before folding it to put it aside. Not seeing anything yet she then stripped off the sheets and again didn't see anything. The whimpering noise of worry the blonde beside her made meant she couldn't give up her search. Kneeling she then grabbed the bed frame and yanked it away from the wall. A small clicking noise caught her attention and gave her a surge of hope. Getting up she used her cell phone as a flashlight and almost immediately found the missing earring.

Picking it up she held it out to her girlfriend, "Here you go my lady."

Vivio took it from her with one hand while her other arm wrapped around her neck to pull her down for a thank you kiss. Looking down at Vivio Einhart could see a small smirk on the lips that had been kissing hers. Raising an eyebrow at this Vivio blushed at being caught.

Pulling away she said, "What? I couldn't help myself. You've been so busy packing and repacking I just wanted to get some attention from you."

Reaching out Einhart laughed as she pulled her back in, "I'm sorry Vi, I've only been preoccupied because I want to make this trip perfect for you. But if I'm being neglectful then let me know, I tend to get all wrapped up in my head thinking about what's best for you that I forget to actually pay attention to you. I can be an idiot like that."

Kissing her worrywart Vivio said, "I know, that's why I made you move the bed. I wanted to see you flex those muscles just for me. If you are going to be such a fussypants then I ought to get some eye candy out of it."

Leaning in Einhart kissed the silky skin of Vivio's neck before giving it a nip, "You are awful micetta."

The use of her pet name and the feeling of Einhart's mouth on her skin made Vivio shiver. It was growing increasingly difficult to maintain her cool head with the knowledge that within a few short hours she'd be alone with her lover at one of the most magical places on Earth. Gripping the shirt under her hands Vivio hid her burning face against Einhart's shoulder, "You're being unfair Ein. Going for my weak spot."

Squeezing the girl in her arms Einhart replied, "You are my weak spot so what did you expect to happen?"

Groaning at the cheesy line Vivio pulled away, "I swear you are just as bad as Fate and Cia, it has to be genetic."

Pouting at this Einhart was about to recapture her prey when there was a knock on the door, freezing they turned to see Fate in the entryway. Taking in the scene she smiled at the teens, at least the pair was enjoying their youth. Stepping in she asked, "Are you all packed and ready?"

Excited now Vivio gave a little hop and said, "Ummhmm! Uh yes, we're ready to go. Ein-chan just finished packing."

Reaching out to pet the girl's blonde hair Fate couldn't help saying, "You are so adorable," then turning to Einhart she said, "Make sure to keep a close eye on her, I don't want anything happening to her, or you for that matter. Stick together, if you need anything call me. Don't hesitate to..."

Just then Nanoha walked in and sighing she grabbed her wife's arm to drag her out as she said, "We'll be waiting in the car, hurry up now."

Giggling at the obvious overprotective mama bear mode Fate was now in the girls picked up their luggage and followed their elders out of the house. Halted on the wraparound patio the girls were stopped briefly to give both Alicia and Carim a hug. The next time they would see the couple it would be at their wedding in Luxembourg. The majority of the Starks had left the day before for home as was planned, with Stern now in Paris visiting some friends while arrangements were made for her to move into town and a job was found for her. Fate already planned on some propinquity with Cinque in order to allow the pair to get to know one another. After all that was how it worked between her and Nanoha, the more contact one has the more likely some kind of bond would form.

As far as the girls were concerned the Stark sisters weren't an issue. They could try to muddle things up but nothing they or anyone else could do would stop them from loving one another. Vivio even had a talk with the sisters privately once she found out what was going on. Levi had any and all hope of ever getting with Vivio smashed to smithereens. The part that hurt the most was learning that even if the beautiful blonde hadn't been linked to Einhart romantically she'd still have no chance. Apparently her attitude and behavior had ruin her chances pretty much from the get go. This was another kick in the butt that made her realize she needed to straighten up if she ever hoped to be worthy of an awesome girl like Vivio in the future. Hell, even Alicia had learned to fly right and now had a fiancée to die for.

Loading their luggage in the car then climbing in back the girls could see Fate was pouting a little, it was obvious the blonde was beginning to have second thoughts about letting them go off on their own. The fact that Einhart was now eighteen and a legal adult didn't mean she was one hundred percent comfortable letting the pair run amuck for four days and three nights. Of course if either of them had been male this trip would have been prefaced with a trip for birth control of every type and the longest most embarrassing discussion on the need for safe sex to prevent pregnancy anyone would ever not want to listen too.

The drive to the train station was pretty quick and from there they would be taking an express straight to the Magical Kingdom. Fate carried their large suitcase in a death grip as they came to the platform. The paranoid blonde glared at every stranger in the station as if they were kidnappers and rapists out to get her girls. Nanoha rubbed her back with her right hand as she began peeling Fate's hand off the suitcase handle.

Making a few more comforting noises Nanoha was able to transfer Fate's grip onto herself which at least would allow the teens to make their escape. Smiling at the pair she said, "Don't mind Fate-chan, she is just being overprotective. We both want you to have a fun time," winking at her daughter with that last comment. Then she sighed at the urgent nudge Fate gave her which left her to say in a dull responsible manner, "Remember to call us when you arrive and when you get back to the hotel each night please. I really don't want to have to restrain Fate-chan from driving all the way there just to check up on you."

Both teens could see how worried Fate was over the situation and one by one they hugged her and kissed her cheek. Vivio said, "I promise Fate-mama we will be safe and call you just as soon as we arrive. I'll even send you pictures of Einhart after I get her on a rollercoaster."

The mock glare the mint green haired girl gave her girlfriend made Fate crack a weak smile before she said, "Alright, alright, I trust you both. Have fun. I love both of you. I'll talk to you later, I'll want to hear all about your first day at the park."

Einhart said, "Don't worry Fate, I won't let her get into any trouble."

"Alone," Fate deadpanned giving her cousin a dry look, "I have no doubt she could wander into hell and you'd be following at her heels. Now get going before I change my mind and decide to relegate you to infancy for the next forty years."

With one more squeezing hug the girls whispered thanks and goodbye before climbing onto the train.

Nanoha held her wife securely, preventing her running off after the young women who were taking their first real steps into adulthood. It was a little depressing for her to know her baby girl was nearly all grown up. The feeling of her twins kicking broke her out of her moodiness and made her smile. While she essentially raised Vivio alone this time she'd have a real spouse to help her care for the family she always dreamed of. No longer would it be just her and Vivio in their makeshift attempt to hold their lives together.

Looking up at Fate Nanoha said, "Why don't we take a walk in town Fate-chan. There's no rush to get back."

Shaking a little as they turned away from the platform Fate let her wife guide her back to the car and for hopefully a peacefully distracting day in the town center.

The train trip was uneventful though Vivio did manage to earn them a few odd looks from their follow passengers with her hyperactivity. Staring out the window and pointing things out like an excited child was seen as amusing by most watchers. Einhart could feel the weight of responsibility when she had to speak to the ticket taker in French as she handed over their passes. Of course the admiring look she got from Vivio for her linguistic skills did help boost her shaky confidence. The idea of having to call Fate to bail them out of some kind of trouble during the trip had her heart palpitating.

Stepping off the train at the Disney Station they were able to hand over their bags directly to a porter who would check them in at the hotel and deliver their luggage to their room. With only their backpacks they were able to get on the tram to the park. The main gates loomed large for the VIP guests and Einhart couldn't help appreciating the extra expense Fate had invested in getting the most exclusive ticket options available. Moving through the lines like hot knife through butter Vivio almost felt guilty at the speed.

Holding hands as they entered the park they immediately took pictures with some costumed characters then stepping aside they sent the pictures to their family before calling them. Nanoha answered for Fate who was now being sat on to keep her calm.

"Ohaio Einhart-chan, I take it everything went smoothly," Nanoha said in her calm motherly voice.

Swallowing back her nerves Einhart said, "Oh yes ma'am. We sent you pictures to show you we're alright too. The trip here was very peaceful."

Just then the phone was taken from Nanoha and Fate spoke into the phone, "No one bothered you two on the train did they?"

The phone was on speaker which allowed Vivio to hear this, smiling at the concern she piped up, "We're fine Fate-mama. Nobody bothered us. Now I'm going to take Einhart on a rollercoaster so go back to entertaining Nanoha-mama for me. Love you!"

Then she hung up the phone which left Fate staring at the device as if it had betrayed her. Nanoha giggled at the look on her face before pocketing the phone and getting up. Holding out a hand to Fate she said, "You heard Vi, you have to keep me entertained. Do you think you're up to it?"

Focusing her mind on the woman before her and not the multitude of horrors that could befall two teenaged girls Fate centered herself once more. Taking hold of Nanoha's hand she smiled weakly, "I will do my utmost amore mio."

Einhart in the meantime was looking at Vivio as if she'd grown a second head before saying, "I can't believe you did that. Fate was freaking out."

Vivio considered this and said, "And she has mama to help her. No matter how long we stayed on the phone with her after checking in it won't have made her feel any better. Short of her being right next to us for the rest of our lives to ensure our safety there is no way to relieve her fears. Mama told me to keep our conversations with Fate short, since she needs to work on handling her anxiety. This vacation isn't just about us having fun, it's also to help Fate adjust to change and things being outside her control. Think about it, the only other time we've been outside her care she has always been a phone call away from being by our sides within minutes."

Thinking about this Einhart realized this was true, while Fate was alright with her going to sports camp that was with adult supervision. Otherwise Fate expected her to stick to their local shopping center which kept her within five to ten minutes of Fate being at her side at any given time. When she went out of town it was always with the understanding of Alicia or the Takamachis would be nearby to rescue them if necessary, not that it ever was.

Shaking away the worry for her cousin Einhart took Vivio's hand. Right now she wanted to focus on making sure her girlfriend had the best day possible. Making sure Fate was alright was now squarely Nanoha's job.

Einhart groaned as she leaned against the cool wall of the elevator. Her feet ached and her body was exhausted from the long day of trekking through the park. The fact that Vivio was still completely starry eyed and bouncing made her wonder what the hell Nanoha fed her to make her such a monster. Honestly she considered herself an athlete with superb stamina but it was clear she couldn't hold a candle to the limitless energy Takamachis seemed to have in spades.

When the ding sounded telling them they had arrived at their floor Vivio dragged Einhart out and down the hall. Whether Einhart would believe it or not she was just as tired but she had a secret weapon against exhaustion, sexual frustration. She'd been in love with her girlfriend almost from the first time she met the girl. They were now going to be sharing a hotel room without the chance of their nosy family interfering. There would be no one to embarrass them in the morning for what happened behind closed doors. Tonight she'd have her cake and eat it too!

Opening the door to their room Vivio saw there was two full sized beds in the room which was disheartening, 'what if Einhart wants to sleep separately?'

Following in behind the blonde the tired girl didn't even pay attention to the bed arrangement and instead kicked off her shoes before saying, "I'm going to take a shower, I feel so gross right now."

Watching the girl stumble into the bathroom Vivio wasn't sure if she should laugh or cry, that had seriously been the most unromantic thing she'd ever heard. She had this whole fantasy on how this day was going to go but it was clear Einhart hadn't gotten the script. Putting down her backpack she suddenly realized something, her overzealous lover had been so eager to meet everyone of her demands that she'd exhausted herself fully. The poor girl was a stumbling mess all because of her.

Deciding that even if they didn't "do the deed" she should at least show her appreciation for Einhart's care she began to undress. Opening the bathroom door she saw the outline of her girlfriend through the shower door and immediately felt her libido give her another energy boost. Slipping in behind Einhart was easy as she was currently letting the spray hit her head on rinsing away the sweat and grime of the day.

Pumping out some shampoo Vivio carefully began to work it into long silvery locks. The action made Einhart tense and look over her shoulder in surprise. She had no doubt who had decided to trespass into her bathing time, she just hoped Vivio didn't have any expectation of her having the energy to do more than stand there.

The exhausted look in dark eyes made Vivio feel a stab of guilt. She hasn't meant to be so pushy, and of course Einhart would never tell her no if it was within her power to do or give her something. Giving the worn out girl a gentle smile she said, "Don't worry Ein, I'm not here to seduce you. I just want to help, scout's honor."

Relieved but slightly doubtful Einhart replied, "I never knew you were a Girl Scout."

Smirking the blonde could help herself, "I'm always trying to do a good deed every day. Now let me finish washing your hair. Unless you want me to concentrate somewhere else?"

Blushing hard at the offer Einhart turned her back to Vivio and sputtered, "Th...th...this is fine."

Biting her lip and taking a deep breath to control herself Vivio felt barely able to hold back her lust. Why did her girlfriend have to be so damn cute when flustered? Hands shaking she washed long thick locks. She concentrated fully on the slick hair studying the color variations. Thanks to the number of outdoor activities Einhart participated in her hair had been sun bleached to a nearly pure silver. The faint glints of green from her darker winter coloring made happy memories of the time they spent together surface.

Every day since they met at the bus station Einhart had been making her smile. Filling each moment with laughter and joy. How many times had she turned to look for her in a crowd only to find dark eyes already watching her? Mouth crooked in a would-be cocky smile which hid her insecurities while making Vivio's stomach flutter with butterflies.

Helping guide Einhart's head under the spray to rinse out the shampoo Vivio finally began to understand why her mother loved Fate so much. The same gentleness and eagerness to please was innate in Einhart. If not careful it could be so easy to abuse this soft-hearted beauty's devotion. Being spoiled by her was a treat, but it was spoiling her in return that was making her heart pound with fulfillment. Maybe she really was more Takamachi than she ever believed possible, because right at that moment all she wanted was to be able to claim Einhart's heart for eternity.

Lathering in conditioner before pinning it up Vivio licked her lips unconsciously when the white column of Einhart's neck came into view. She loved to bite the sensitive skin and the way the girl shivered and goosebumps rose in response making her even more susceptible to teasing made it hard to breathe. Biting her lip she took up a washcloth and began scrubbing Einhart's back and neck. When the sound of a pleasured moan escaped Vivio found her self-control snap.

Moving closer she kissed strong shoulders as her hands moved to wrap around her prize. Cupping full perky breasts she washed them thoroughly causing Einhart to grab at the wall to support herself. Gasping at the feelings building up inside her the silver haired girl moaned, "Vi, god... I thought you said you were going to behave. Please stop. Ah not here."

Resting her forehead on the marked flesh Vivio felt her guilt rise again. She was supposed to be helping, not sexually harassing her girlfriend. In a tone of contrition Vivio said, "I'm sorry Ein. I really did want to help but I find you so hard to resist. I'll leave and let you finish on your own."

Covering the hands that now held her around the waist Einhart replied, "Don't. Stay and shower with me. I may not have the energy to engage in sex in here but I still want you nearby. I love you Vi."

Handing over the washcloth Vivio moved to rinse off then began washing her own hair. She did all she could to maintain space between them so as to not lose her cool, again. Little did the blonde realize she'd opened a can of worms. The faint flush to pink skin and the way perfect breasts bounced as Vivio went through her ablutions was now giving Einhart her second wind.

Once they finished cleaning up the teens pulled on their nightgowns. Einhart's ability to feint sleepiness was almost blown when she saw exactly what Vivio was wearing. The tiny pink silk slip didn't even fully cover her matching panties. It was crystal clear to Einhart she was going to be tortured to death by her girlfriend. There was no way she'd be able to sleep knowing the blonde was dressed so enticingly.

When Vivio moved to sleep in a separate bed Einhart almost growled her displeasure. For weeks they'd been anticipating this trip and one of the key perks was being able to sleep together peacefully behind a locked door. Once Vivio rolled onto her side and gave a quiet 'good night' Einhart pulled up the blanket before sliding in behind her. Pulling the girl in tight she snuggled her for a long happy moment before saying, "I love you Vi."

Flipping over Vivio said plaintively, "I really don't think this is a good idea. You're tired and I am wired with lust. If you stay in the same bed as me I know I won't be able to control myself."

The desperate need in jewel-like eyes gave Einhart another boost of energy. Moving closer she engaged Vivio in a needy kiss before saying, "I don't know how you do it but just looking at you gives me strength. No more holding back Vi. I'm all yours."

The blonde didn't need a second invitation, hands dove to yank off the simple cotton nightshirt Einhart was wearing. As soon as bare breasts came into view her mouth and hands latched on to them. The frantic moan and scrambling of fingers against her scalp trying to pull her in closer made her smile. Moving from one pouting nipple to the other repeatedly as the girl under her pleaded and hips rolled up begging for contact.

Releasing the pebbled nub from her mouth Vivio looked down on her lover. Blown out irises stared back at her before Einhart lost control. Flipping them over the silver haired girl tore at the silk barrier between them. Needing to feel the soft naked skin press against her own she no longer cared about going slow. Over a year's worth of sexual frustration on both teens' parts had them ready to explode.

Back and forth the lead was taken as they explored what gave their lover pleasure. Each time Vivio pushed them a little further giving Einhart the courage she needed. Aroused beyond belief Vivio finally decided it was time, taking her girlfriend's hand she placed it on her overheated core. The look of awe when she felt how slick Vivio's most secret place was, all because of her, made the blonde smile.

Kissing her softly she positioned her own hand at Einhart's center then whispered against silky lips, "Together."

Gliding her fingers up the wet folds Vivio was thrilled to feel Einhart copy her movements. She was just about to push her middle finger in when the silver haired girl asked, "Are you sure?"

Growling at the hesitation Vivio asked back, "Are you sure?"

The frustration in her girlfriend's voice was clear so Einhart decided for once she'd no longer hold back. Not waiting for Vivio to begin she pushed her finger into the hot sticky center that was weeping for her touch. The moan she received for her action was instantly forgotten when Vivio got her revenge by thrusting her own digit into the distracted girl. Gasping out at the feeling Einhart nearly collapsed onto the blonde as her body arched. For every stroke she received that brought her closer to release she gave back two fold.

The feeling of nails digging into her back and the hidden muscles tightening let Einhart know how close Vivio was to climaxing. In a tense voice the blonde whimpered, "More. One more."

Pushing in another digit she sighed at the tightness, amazed how flexible walls stretched to accommodate both her ring and middle fingers. The shudder and small grimace of pain nearly made Einhart panic over hurting her beloved. Before she could even think of removing her hand she was being kissed then she was letting out a gasp as another digit stretched her out. The sharp instant of pain was lost in their heated embrace.

Their game of one upmanship was speeding them towards climax. Each intent on finding that perfect spot inside the other. Bodies moving in an ancient rhythm which allowed sensitive skin to rub heightening their pleasure.

The whimpering plea of, "Please Ein, more… almost there...ah god! Harder!"

Rubbing her thumb against the hard button as she pushed home once more Einhart groaned when she felt the rush of fluid and tightness clamp down on her fingers. The hand buried in her hair yanked her down and sharp teeth bit her shoulder just as Vivio thrust into her one more time before losing her fight with mind-numbing pleasure. The feeling of being claimed so decisively was all Einhart needed in addition to knowing she'd satisfied her girlfriend to give in to her own orgasm. Arching into the fingers lodged in her she shuddered as tears of joy and satisfaction sprung to her eyes.

Hiding herself in the nook of Vivio's neck Einhart tried to regain control of her mind and body. The realization that she no longer had even the vestige of control left hit her hard.

Laughing softly she whispered, "I love you so much Vivio. You own me. If I lost...mmmffp!"

When the hard kiss that shut her up broke the silver haired girl found herself on her back with an annoyed Vivio on top of her.

With a flick to her girlfriend's nose the blonde said, "Stop ruining the mood Ein. You know I'm not going anywhere. Why would I? Where would I find anyone who could even come close to how wonderful you are? I already told you a million times, You Are Mine. By now you should know how territorial a Takamachi can be, so even if you tried to escape I'd hunt you down and tie you up. MINE."

The soft hand that closed over her breast pinched her nipple roughly making her gasp in shocked pleasure. Vivo's suspicion that Einhart got off on being dominated was being confirmed as she took complete control of the silver haired girl's body. Manipulating it like a ball of clay, molding it to her will as she pinched, bit and sucked on tender flesh. The number of lovemarks the blonde left made it look like Einhart had been assaulted but the girl's begging pleas of more made it clear she was enjoying each possessive touch.

Pulling the girl's legs apart Vivio left biting kisses along the sensitive inner thigh. Einhart was now shaking and gripped the bed in desperation as she opened her legs wider. Hiding her blushing face she turned into her pillow as her body silently begged for Vivo to claim it fully.

All the while the blonde was becoming drunk on the powerful lust filling her. Her dream of possessing Einhart, ruining the girl for all others was finally coming true. As insecure as the silver haired girl could be vocally Vivio was twice as bad in her head. The difference came in how the youngest Takamachi handled it. When her fear of losing Einhart began to overwhelm her she became more affectionate; attaching herself as much as she could which to date had never been rebuffed.

Biting the juncture of where leg met hip Vivio could see and smell Einhart's arousal. She'd heard girls could get extremely wet but hadn't thought she be able to elicit that kind of a response from Einhart. Not taking into account she'd already brought her girlfriend to one orgasm and wasn't allowing for any respite. Unsure how the girl would react she slowed her assault, this place was too sensitive and delicate for teeth. Even if she had a secret urge to bite the swollen flesh like an overripe fruit.

Licking the soft outer lips she tasted the sweet slick juice. The shuddering sigh this elicited gave her the courage to prod at the folds with her tongue. There was an explosion of flavor as Einhart's hands scratched her scalp in an attempt to pull her closer.

Looking up Vivio could see her girlfriend was now biting her lip and had her eyes screwed up tight as she shook her head in an effort to restrain her voice. The girl was on the edge and all Vivio wanted at that moment was to push her right over. Even though she'd never admit it in a million years she was thankful at that moment for Alicia's "talk" which at least gave her an idea on how to succeed in her goal.

Toying with the hard protrusion at the top of the slit made Einhart buck wildly and finally earned her the sound of her girlfriend's pleading voice. The babbling desperation was music to her ears, though muffled as the girl tried to close her legs when the sensation became mind wrecking. Taking a firm grip on the clenching thighs Vivio pried them open in an effort to maintain her position and mobility. Holding her lover still the blonde concentrated on giving Einhart as much pleasure as possible. When the girl's back began to arch and her ability to even breathe was destroyed Vivio knew she was nearly at her peak. Redoubling her efforts she was rewarded with gaping cry of her name and the shuddering of the perfect body she'd been worshiping.

The limp boneless nature of the form beneath her highly amused Vivio. Sitting up as she licked her lips with a very cat-that-ate-the-canary smile she took in the sight of a completely satisfied Einhart. The knowledge that the silver haired girl was now hers in all ways made her hidden possessive side grow a little stronger. Like her adoptive mother she could play nice and share the everyday aspects of her lover but the mere idea of anyone but her knowing this side of Einhart made her growl in territorial fury. She had no fear that her lover would stray, Einhart wasn't that type of girl, but that didn't mean shameless hussies wouldn't throw themselves at her. Making sure her lover never developed even a slight temptation to give in to such females she now silently swore to always keep her satisfied and happy both in and out of their bedroom.

Violet and grey eyes studied the blonde figure hovering above them, angelic in looks yet demonic in her actions. She was suddenly reminded of the first time they kissed, how the innocent flirting they had indulged in was turned into an opening for the girl she loved to jump her. She was at her core a coward when it came to relationships, all the girls she had flirted with were straight and merely liked playing around. Even the few kisses she'd shared with the more adventurous ones hadn't meant anything. It wasn't until Vivio entered her life that she began to really wish the flirting between them could mean more.

Pulling the baby devil down to her Einhart shifted so they could lie on their sides and talk. Tucking back a lock of wayward blonde hair she could feel her heart melt at the adoring look this earned her. Vivio loved small tender gestures of affection and more than anything hugs. She would gladly spend the rest of her life wrapped up in a Vivio bearhug.

Biting her lip with a questioning frown to her brow the blonde asked, "I didn't really hurt you did I?"

She had to ask this as her eyes caught sight of the multitude of love bites she'd left in the heat of the moment. The bruises looked accusatory and screamed out her guilt in being a greedy thoughtless lover.

Touching a particularly prominent one that ached slightly Einhart pressed on it gently and found herself emitting a gasping moan. The sound made Vivio blush as she realized her girlfriend was getting aroused once more on the pain her love bites gave her. The tender ache of the bruises was awakening once more a different kind of ache further south on her body.

Clutching at her lover's hips Vivio whined, "Damn it Ein! You can't be this sexy and not expect me to jump you. Mmmhm you're not being fair."

Before Einhart could even defend against this statement the blonde devil had reattached herself to a pouting nipple. Greedy hands were now more confident and immediately moved to tease Einhart's core eliciting more moans of pleasure. If the silver haired girl ever thought she'd be the top in their relationship she was now learning the harsh truth, she was the bottom and she loved it.

Collapsing to the bed an hour later the pair smiled shyly at each other, all the signs of exhaustion were back redoubled on Einhart's face as she yawned, "I love you Vivio."

No longer feeling frisky Vivio felt her heart melt at the sleepy look, scooting closer she pulled her girlfriend against her and between them they found a comfortable position. It was mere moments after they settled that the dark haired girl fell into a deep slumber. Petting the silvery hair of her beloved Vivio soon found herself soothed into sleep also content with all the day's events.

When the consonsiree called with their wake up call the next morning they were both still exhausted. Grumbling a little Vivio wondered aloud if it would be forgivable to spend the day sleeping. As young and resilient as they might be they had little stamina for the type of workout they had indulge in the night before. Far more tired but as always the more diligent of the pair Einhart ensured they left their little nest and made their way downstairs for at the very least food. From there it wouldn't be as difficult to coax her girlfriend into the wider world.

Einhart knew that if they didn't get out of bed and see more of the park would only bring more trouble on their heads. Eventually the knowledge of their absence would get out and that would be embarrassing to the extreme. As far as their blonde guardian was concerned she would pretend they were still ten years old and completely innocent in order to avoid asking questions she didn't want answers too. But that didn't mean Nanoha or Alicia wouldn't grill them to the Nth degree. Then the teasing would begin and never end.

Eating brunch in the hotel restaurant they decided the day would be spent watching shows and outlined the shortest routes to the various venues. Then tried to call their guardians before heading out into the park. Getting their voicemail was odd considering the hour but then again this was NanoFate. While hiding in their hotel room sleeping, even if cuddled up together, would be a welcome relief from their exhaustion they both also recognized it'd be a waste of Fate's money. She had gone to expense of paying for the trip, it was their responsibility to make the most of it.

Later in the day they finally spoke to a drowsy sounding Nanoha who promised to relay their morning's greeting and that they were both enjoying their trip to Fate. The humored tone in their mother's voice at hearing their tired voices during the short conversation made both girls uncomfortably sure she knew exactly what they'd been up to. Ending the call quickly allowed them to avoid, for now, any teasing that knowledge was likely to engender.

The Previous Evening

Fate patted her hair dry as she exited the bathroom, she felt much better after a long soak in the bath. Smiling a little as she thought about the way her wife ordered her into the oversized tub and told her not to come out for at least thirty minutes. All day she had been as nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. She wasn't sure when it happened but little Vivio had wriggled her way into her heart. Combined with her deep affection for Einhart she now knew what it was like to have her own children. As with all people she loved she had a desperate need to protect and nurture which made it hard to let go. Her overreaction to them making their first real foray into adulthood did not bode well for her unborn children.

She was about to change into her night clothes when the door to the bedroom opened and the most appetizing sight entered the room. The scent of hot chocolate and fresh cinnamon made her mouth water. Yet it was the look in Nanoha's sapphire eyes that nearly had her drooling. Her little devil was planning something to help take her mind off their missing children. The sheer white nightgown she wore made it perfectly clear more than one dessert was on the menu for the evening.

Taking in the delectable sight she let her eyes focus in on the food items. In an innocent tone she asked, "What's all this?"

It took all her years of playing an ice angel to feign disinterest in her wife's lovely form. Nanoha was anything but subtle when it came to making her intentions known. Making her devilish wife earn her prize might be cruel but would likely mean when her patience snapped the results would be more satisfying.

Stopping for a moment Nanoha waved the items teasingly, which also caused her breasts to move enticingly, before saying, "I thought my Fate-chan deserved a treat. Or maybe you don't want it?"

Reaching for the plate Fate licked her lips in a seemingly innocuous manner, "Of course I want it. I want everything Nanoha is willing to give me."

The sound of Nanoha growling almost made the devious blonde smirk. Lifting it to her mouth she accidently caused a smear of icing to mark her upper lip. Chewing for a moment she let her pink tongue flash out to lick it clean once she saw Nanoha's eyes zero in on the tasty treat. Fate could see Nanoha's grip on the plate and cup tighten and the darkening of sapphire eyes to the lustful shade of violet they got when her wife really lost her inhibitions. Placing the cinnamon roll down on the plate she took the cup of hot cocoa and took a long drink. The way her throat worked as the fluid was swallowed had the devil shaking. The desire to attach her lips and suck at the long pale column of skin was becoming irresistible.

When Fate finally pulled the cup from her lips they had a glazing of chocolate which Nanoha refused to let her wife lick away. Her plan to seduce her blonde goddess was being undermined and it was time to take back control. Wrapping her free hand around Fate's neck she pulled her down and devoured the taunting sweet treat. When she broke the kiss her wife was no longer capable of thought or scheming. Quickly ensuring both cup and plate were put aside Nanoha then pushed her wife onto their bed.

Voice now laced with lust Nanoha said, "I plan on giving you such a treat," violet eyes racked down the prone figure and she whispered teasingly, "Or maybe I'll treat myself."

Untying the robe which was all Fate had on had Nanoha's breathing excelerate and her need to dominate flare red hot. Reaching over to the bedside table she let her fingers dip into the warm icing on her wife's favor treat. With an evil smirk on her lips she marked both Fate's nipples with the sweetness. Then with zero hesitation she pressed her fingers to the blonde's lips allowing her to suck them clean. The feeling of her lover's slick tongue playing over her digits made Nanoha's core tighten and she had to pull her fingers away before she found herself losing her edge.

In an imperious tone she said, "I want you to hold on to the headboard, if you let go I will have to punish you."

The harsh breath Fate sucked in when she heard this excited Nanoha and the tight hold her wife took on the cast iron posts made her wonder if they might not be bent before the night was through. Carefully leaning over she licked at the edges of the icing covered nipple. Teasing the areola and enjoying the noises her wife was now making. Since becoming lovers Nanoha had come to realize Fate became more instinctual, almost animalistic when aroused. The fact that marking her wife with a love bite or even just biting her could push her over the edge, making her orgasm twice as powerful told her volumes about the type of person Fate truly was. She needed to be claimed fully by Nanoha to be satisfied.

The cute little whimpering noise that begged for her to properly suckle the sensitive peaks had her bullying her wife. Lapping at the icing she said, "Tell me what you want Fate-chan. Use your words and I'll give you what you want."

Breathless and squirming Fate's dark eyes pleaded. It took three tries before coherent words formed, the third time was ruined half way through when Nanoha's tongue began tracing figure eights around the pouting nipple. All she got was a whining plea of, "Pleaaaaassseee!" as she arched her back up trying to force more of her breast into Nanoha's teasing mouth.

Deciding that was enough the devil began to suck as if her life depended on it. This was met with a moan of approval and desperate hips bucking up hoping to find any friction to relieve her growing need. Meanly Nanoha held her down with a hand on her pelvis not allowing her to even beg with her body. Each time the icing on Fate's body was depleted she marked a new spot with her fingers before pushing them back into Fate's greedy mouth. The attention she poured into cleaning the slender digits was equal to what was given to her burning body by her devilish wife.

Licking away the last smear off a hip and deciding it was time to escalate matters Nanoha stood up off the bed and went to the dresser drawer. There she pulled out her new toy, no longer conflicted over the present or its gift giver. She'd be damned if she let the knowledge that Alicia had purchased the thing for them ruin what was going to be a beautiful experience.

Hiding the object against her body she ordered, "Fate-chan, I want you to close your eyes. You are not to open them until I tell you."

Unsure what her wife had planned but trusting her implicitly Fate did as she was told. Her body was thrumming with need and she wasn't going to do anything to dissuade her wife from relieving her ache. Readjusting her grip on the headboard she took a calming breath before letting her other senses reach out. The soft sound of cloth being removed let her know Nanoha was now naked.

Then the radiant warmth of her lover's body and the dipping of the bed let her know how close her beloved devil was to her. A gentle hand rearranged her legs leaving her core exposed as it teased the sensitive skin of her inner thighs.

Whimpering she pleaded, "Please let me see you. Let me touch you Nanoha, I need all of you."

Instead of answering the feeling of cool lubricant being applied to her core drove all rational thought from her mind. First two then three slender fingers entered her body, stretching her as they pushed her to the edge of pleasured bliss. Rolling her hips up she tried to take more when suddenly the connection was broken.

Crying out, "No!" she barely managed to keep her eyes closed and her hands on the cold metal.

Then the sound of Nanoha's moan froze her. Ears now listening for even a hint of what her beloved was planning had her lying stock still. The feeling of her leg being lifted over a smooth warm thigh made her sigh out, "Yes, please. I need to feel more of you…"

Fate's words cut off as she felt something hard press against her and then fill her. Groaning when she felt Nanoha's rounded tummy press against her flat scarred stomach. Canting her hips up allowed them to connect even more and had her devilish wife moaning.

Panting Nanoha said breathlessly, "Open your eyes Fa...Fate-chan."

The flushed look on her wife's face destroyed any lingering strings of self-control. Immediately her hands went to the full hips of her lover and she began to manipulating their bodies. Whatever hope Nanoha had of maintaining her dominance in this act was lost when Fate's mouth found her breasts to suckle as she thrust upwards with growing desperation.

Gripping the bed sheets Nanoha found it took all her strength to maintain her position hovering above Fate. The red eyed woman was moving in such a way as to leave her weak with pleasure and only capable of moaning out pleas for more. Once again she'd found herself becoming a submissive top. She started this game and now Fate was determined to finish it.

Arms trembling with effort awoke Fate's concern for her wife's comfort. Stopping the delightful act Nanoha had begun seemed a crime but she'd never risk harming her or their unborn children. The halting of her hips earned her a growl and a glare from violet eyes.

In spite of her perceived weakness she ground out between clenched teeth, "You better not stop Fate Takamachi or I swear I will make you sleep on the couch for a week!"

The fierce look and words would have frightened anyone else but Fate merely smirked at what she perceived as Nanoha's pout. Cupping her wife's heart shaped face she kissed her softly. This gentleness was met with a disgruntled growl and a hand moving from the bed to her breast. The rough pinching of her nipple had her hips twitching upwards instinctively.

Breaking the kiss Nanoha declared, "I want this Fate. Please don't stop now, I couldn't bear it."

Lifting Nanoha's hips she disconnected them which had her angel's eyes spouting tears she then rolled them over. Shifting her wife's legs she then positioned herself to reconnect them.

Taking Nanoha's hands in her own she laced their fingers together as she sank against her. Moaning when they met at the center Fate whispered, "I have no intentions of stopping amore mio. I just don't want you straining yourself. Now let me finish what you started, I want to see you come apart under me."

Nanoha watched her blonde goddess move above her. When they found their rhythm again the cries of passion grew louder. Wanting, needing more Nanoha dug her fingers into Fate's back trying to pull her in closer. This action was met with Fate lifting her wife's hips off the bed and her increasing the pace of her pistoning hips. The new angle caused her to cry out and tighten, causing Fate in turn more pleasure as the hard object connecting them found her own sweet spot.

Eyes squeezed closed tight in concentration as she tried to hold back her release Fate had to open them when Nanoha called out to her.

Trembling on the precipice of fulfillment Nanoha needed one more thing to find release. Fate's body carried her mark from their other bouts of love making but in this position she had no access to the lovely neck or shoulder she'd normally bite at this moment. Fate too was feeling her need to be claimed and in her desperation lifted her right hand and placed to against Nanoha's lips.

The firm flesh of Fate's palm would be the perfect place to sink her teeth and leave a lasting mark of possession. But this was her dominate hand which was necessary to her livelihood and damaging it would be a crime against humanity. Kissing it Nanoha then tried to push it away but when she opened her mouth to protest two long fingers slipped past her lips.

Burgundy eyes now blazing red hot opened and Fate said, "Bite them. Mark them as your own. Please Nanoha, claim me."

Shocked by the request for a brief moment then recognizing Fate needed this Nanoha first sucked on the fingers in her mouth and was rewarded with a moan of delight. Timing her bite with the next thrust of Fate's hips she was rewarded with the sight of her blonde goddess losing control above her. The spasming of the long lean body rocked loose her own orgasm and she moaned against the fingers still in her mouth.

Fate would have loved to collapse onto her wife's body but instead she sunk back onto her knees then carefully dislodged the remarkable device that had connected them. Once they were freed from it she placed it on the nightstand for cleaning and possible future use. She'd be sure not to ask where the thing came from. Her suppositions didn't need to be confirmed as that would only embarrass her the next time she saw her sister.

Lying down she pulled Nanoha's warm sated body close to her own. The snuggling kitten practically purred as she found her favorite cuddling position. Looking at her right hand in the dim light she could see faint red marks from Nanoha's teeth and smiled. All of her belonged to the woman beside her, even her ability to create art. Kissing the crown of auburn hair she loved beyond reason she yawned and fell into a comfortable doze. The last thought Fate had before giving into sleep had nothing to do with paranoid fears or panicked thoughts over her missing children. It seemed her wife was perfectly capable of distracting her and ensuring her attention was focused on more important things, thank the heavens and all the gods who resided therein for her.

~"~"~

When Fate finally did wake up the next day Nanoha was already dressed and cooking a late breakfast. Having the beach house to themselves they decided to relax on some lounge chaises for a while before going for a walk in town. The relaxing tone to the mini-vacation was exactly what the pair needed before things became frantic again. Soon the teens would be back then they would be heading towards the wedding and the mob of people who had slowly guilted Alicia and Carim into inviting them. It wouldn't be a massive event like Fate and Nanoha's but the nearly forty people would be far more than they had originally expected.

Taking the week long break from all other sources of stress even on a beach Fate found herself becoming more accepting of the environment and agreeable to the idea of bringing back her family in the future. The mental image of her twin daughters playing in the sand and collecting sea shells had her smiling at the sheer normality of the scenario. No longer would the seaside be thought of as a bane or a chore to be dealt with. Thanks to Nanoha and her growing family it was now a place of happy memories and hope.

On the last morning of their solitude Fate got up with her sketchbook and some colored chalks. Sitting on the deck she madly tried to capture the fleeting colors of the rising sun, flipping pages and grabbing the fragile sticks frantically as the purples and blues gave way to reds and golds. Nanoha caught her at it and leaned against the side of the house to watch the way the dawning light played over Fate's features. Her wife was so much like the breaking dawn, fighting her way out of darkness and the bearer of new hopes and dreams. It was almost painful the fact that she had nothing at hand to record the perfect beauty of the moment.

When the sun finally broke over the horizon Fate let out a sigh and finished the sketch she was working on before setting everything down. The feeling of gentle hands massaging her shoulders made her smile and release the tension that had built inside her as she drew. It was like flying in a way, trying to capture a fleeting instant of time with her bare hands. Now as she came down from that exhilarating high she was comforted to find a secure place to rest and digest the things she'd seen.

Leaning over to kiss a soft pale cheek Nanoha asked, "May I see them?"

Nodding Fate handed over the sketchbook as she shifted her seat. Pulling Nanoha down onto her lap she enjoyed the solid warmth of her body. The soft scent of her shampoo tickled her nose as she lent in to kiss her wife's neck. The shiver of delight this caused made Fate's smile grow as she rested her head against Nanoha's shoulder eyes now closed. Wrapping one arm around Fate to keep her close Nanoha began her examination of the sketches. Each one was a blur of color that caught the feeling of dawn, the mystery of that heart-pounding moment when the world awoke.

Setting the book aside she turned her head down to Fate's resting one, the easy way she was breathing lead her to surmise she'd fallen asleep. Instead of waking her dozing wife Nanoha relaxed into the hold and watched the waves for a few minutes. In a few short months this kind of calm quiet moment would be more precious than gold. Rubbing her stomach she could feel the fluttering of the twins who were increasingly making their existence known with kicks and elbow jabs. The deep inhalation and shifting in the seat let Nanoha know her wife had woken up on her own.

When the head lifted off her shoulder Nanoha took the opportunity to give Fate a fleeting kiss before standing up. Blinking at the rapid movement the drowsy blonde reached out to her escaping warm bundle.

Gently batting away the seeking grip Nanoha said, "Uh-ah Fate-chan, it's time to get up. We need to get dressed so we can pick up the girls at the station then we really have to start packing. No more dragging your feet, I won't pack for you. You've been buying too many things for the babies in town, I have no clue how we are going to get it all home."

Sleepy eyes focused on the retreating form and even though Nanoha thought herself out of reach she suddenly found herself captured by two strong arms and being lifted off her feet. Squealing when she felt Fate's mouth on her neck earning her a slight nip with a playful growl.

Settling her wife back down the teasing blonde said, "I'll start on the packing now, we need to make sure the important stuff is put away properly."

Blushing at this Nanoha smacked her wife's back and pouted, "You're awful Fate-chan, it's not like we'll be able to use it when we get home. I'm almost too big now to comfortably use it and it'll be months after I give birth before I'll be in any kind of shape to use it again."

Catching a swatting hand Fate kissed the back of it before replying, "Normally a woman can engage in sex within a few weeks after giving birth. I have researched this very thoroughly. Heaven knows I have a hard enough time keeping my hands off you as it is, after you give birth to our children it will likely be a thousand times harder."

Rolling her eyes at this Nanoha said, "Unlikely, I will be all fat and stretched out. I'm going to need to go on a strict diet and workout regiment if I'm going to get my prior shape back."

Letting a hand skim up the curves of Nanoha's body Fate leaned in to counter this claim, "You are my wife, the love of my life and the mother of my children. You are the most beautiful woman in the world, all the changes your body is going through hasn't altered that an iota. As soon as Carim says it's safe to make love to you after our babies are born I swear I won't care how sleep deprived I am, I will spend all night worshiping every inch of you."

Hiding her face against Fate's shoulder Nanoha shook her head and said in a muffled voice, "Please don't, I want to be perfect for you. You seeing me…"

A hard kiss shut her up then determined eyes bore into her own, "I will never be perfect for you Nanoha. I don't expect perfection, I just want you. My Nanoha, with all her stubbornness and flaws, the woman who loves me."

Heart skipping a beat at this pronouncement Nanoha said, "I really do love you. I never want to disappoint you."

With a soft kiss Fate answered this, "As long as you keep on loving me you never will," then with a teasing leer at her wife's cleavage she said, "Besides I really don't want you to lose all the weight you've gained. Some of it looks really good on you."

Poking her wife in the side Nanoha pulled out of her pervert wife's grip to make her way indoors with a faux huff. The fact that she was barely able to keep an amused smile off her face as she did so severely lessened her stance.

~"~"~

The babbling excitement in Vivio's voice as she tried to hug both her mothers and tell them all about their week as heartening to the women. Fate never expected to miss the sound of the girl's chirping tones but the way she expressed herself was so like Nanoha it was like listening to a younger version of the woman she loved. Giggle, phrasing and the cute little pout she sported when stuck searching for words was pure Nanoha. It made Fate hopeful the growing babes would also pick up all these traits and miss out on all her own antisocial tendencies.

Einhart was thankful for the hug from Nanoha but she lingered a little longer in Fate's arms pulling emotional strength from the embrace and whispering her need to talk to her privately. Looking into her mismatched eyes she could see a new resolve in them. Clearly the girl had plans she needed to discuss with Fate regarding her future. That those plans would revolve around Vivio wasn't in doubt, it would be her job to make sure they didn't hamper each other's growth during this vital time in their lives. A fine line to walk indeed for a parent, supporting a fledgling relationship while also making sure neither girl gave up any opportunities they might regret later.

Getting the pair back to the beach house Fate and Nanoha split up with their respective daughter to sit down for a good long talk, or in Vivio's case gossip. The girl was now seriously ready to learn more from her mother in regards to maintaining a healthy relationship. Einhart settled happily on a chair in the master bedroom, avoiding the bed like the plague. She already knew enough about her cousin's relationship with Nanoha to know that wasn't a safe option.

Watching the woman pack she said, "I know I've told you this before but I need to say it again."

Looking up and over at the girl she gave her full attention to the conversation. The burgundy eyes gave her words greater weight and Einhart knew she'd not be laughed at.

Swallowing her nerves Einhart said, "I love Vivio. This isn't a passing infatuation or teenage hormones talking. When I picture my future a lot of it is murky but the one thing I'm sure of is I need her by my side to be happy. I know it was planned for me to go to your old alma mater but Vivio doesn't have the kind of portfolio or recommendations as I do. I… I couldn't stand it if we were separated and I lost her. I don't know what to do. I always thought… I never expected this."

Smiling at that last bit Fate came over and rubbed her back before saying, "No, it's surprising how quickly a Takamachi can sneak up on you and become vital to one's happiness."

Running a hand over her face Einhart asked, "What would you do in my situation?"

Fate could only imagine how limpet like she'd behave if she'd met Nanoha at seventeen. The knowledge that she'd have followed Nanoha to the ends of the universe and never count the cost was not something Einhart needed to hear right now.

Clearing her throat Fate answered back, "When I was your age I faced something similar with Alicia. She gave up a lot to stay with me and while she doesn't begrudge me some of those lost chances your situation is very different. I gave up nothing, but have had to live with the knowledge that Alicia's life could have been so…" the thought 'so much more' was painful. Instead she finished by saying, "different than it is now, it's a burden I have to bear. Remember that when you try to do something for someone else's sake. Especially without talking to that person."

Biting her cheek Einhart digested this comment solemnly and decided overthrowing all her plans in a panic was not how her girlfriend would have her behave. Vivio was smart, even if she'd not be able to enter the same school as her freshman year she could transfer in later. Then again she had zero clue about what Vivio was planning to study. The girl could paint and draw well but she wasn't at the same level as Einhart nor did she seem to take the same kind of pleasure out of it. Getting into a good school and being able to support herself was the goal most often touted by the blonde but what did that mean?

Fate's suggestion of talking to Vivio before jumping head long into assumptions seemed to wisest thing she'd ever heard. Talking things out was what Fate always suggested in the end, don't let confusion or misunderstandings fester. If you want something speak up about it, and if you lose out because you didn't, don't fuss since it was your own stubborn fault.

In the Testarossa household she'd quickly learned to do this in regards to desserts and from there it had been merely applying the same thinking to the rest of her life. It was why she'd been able to be so forward with Vivio in the beginning. Taking for granted the blonde girl would want her friendship and adopting her immediately into her group. The hangup came when she realized she had wanted much more than to be friends. Every time she'd hoped a girl might find her attractive that way it had ended up with awkwardness and a broken friendship. Thankfully Vivio lived by the same convictions as the Testarossas did; take what you want, the worst someone can say is no.

Letting her mind settle on a course of action, and a few long delayed topics of discussion she got up and declared, "I won't let her get away. Not after knowing what it means to be loved by her. I know she doesn't plan to let me go either, so now we just need to decide together how best to handle college. I really want to live with her, but… no. I won't borrow worry. We can face down anything together."

Ruffling silvery hair Fate said, "One step at a time bambina."

Hugging the woman who was mother, sister and cousin to her since she was twelve years old she was thankful for the calm security she exuded. Flashing her cocky devil-may-care smile the teen said, "Now I just need to pry Vivio away from Nanoha-san. Heaven only knows what kind of gossip they are sharing."

Deciding her wife probably wanted the time to bond with her daughter she held Einhart back by asking for help packing. Taking the opportunity to learn all about their trip and even get a blushing admission that the girls' relationship had now fully matured. This made something in Fate's chest ache, her little girl really was all grown up. At least her fear of some adventuress taking advantage of Einhart for her inheritance or talent wasn't something she had to worry about with Vivio. Despite protestations Fate had set up a trust for her step-daughter which would provide her with a safety cushion while settling into whatever career she choose. Or might be used to start up a new business. Money definitely wasn't a motivation that kept the hyperactive fluff-ball attached to Einhart's side like a burr. Most likely it was the love-sick way Einhart looked at her, even from the beginning of their friendship Fate had sensed the amount of attention given to the blonde girl was more than normal.

When the two pairs finally met up again for dinner the majority of the packing was done and even loaded into the rented vehicle. Their departure in the morning would be much smoother than Nanoha would have previously expected. When they retired to bed that night Fate could sense the tension in Einhart. She trusted Vivio to be her normal level headed self and listen to all of her high strung girlfriend's concerns before making any decisions or comments. Well if worse came to worst she'd just throw the pair in the ocean to cool their heads then allow the time it'd take to bathe, together, to settle them down once more.

When morning did come Einhart had a very thoughtful look on her face as if she was still trying to comprehend something. Vivio merely looked amused and held onto her lover calmly maneuvering her around obstacles so she didn't hurt herself in her distracted state. Whatever the blonde had said the night before must have been shocking enough to knock Einhart's preconceived ideas ass over teakettle. It did make her rather curious to know what diabolical plans the young Takamachi had for her future. And what trouble it would likely lead her cousin into when she went flailing after her.

Heading to the train station after the final meal in the house and cleaning up, the family settled into a comfortable compartment for the trip. It wasn't long but did allow for a short nap which all took advantage of since they knew once they hit the ground it would be nonstop madness. As the train slowed to a stop at their destination Fate rolled her neck and stretched hoping to enjoy one more minute of quietude when there was a thumping on her window. Looking out she saw her sister jumping up and down like a toddler waving and gesturing for her to hurry up.

Nanoha leaned across her and waved back before commenting, "Are you sure you two are identical twins? I would swear she is at least twenty years younger than you with the way she behaves."

Snorting at this Fate said, "You've never really seen her go all big sister mode."

Raising an eyebrow at that Nanoha asked, "You mean she can be serious for more than ten seconds continually?"

Smiling at this Fate said, "Rarely but it does happen. Come on before she decides to force her way onto the train and drags us off."

~'~'~

Three days of slave labor and having to deal with an increasingly panicked Alicia Fate was exhausted and ready to tell Carim to just take her idiot sister to the justice of the peace and put her out of her misery. Not that Alicia would have gone along with this as she was now turning into bridezilla in needing everything perfect. It gave a very amused Rein a glimpse into how her future wife was likely to behave when their time came. Hayate and Alicia had many similarities personality-wise, especially when it came to control issues.

The day of the wedding had the twins waking up in the same bed. Slightly regretful Fate had given up her normal spot next to Nanoha to comfort her nervous sister. What annoyed her most about the situation was the whole point of this was being negated by the very person who insisted on it. The slight creaking of the bathroom door told her the idiot was now hiding after taking yet another peek at her sleeping bride.

Shifting Fate could feel her sleeping twin was hiding her face in long blonde hair and the desperate clutching at the back of her nightshirt. Wriggling into a more comfortable position she heard the sound of Alicia's breath become more labored. The little whimper that followed had Fate deciding to wake her before she started hyperventilating in whatever nightmares she was enduring.

Reaching behind her Fate patted the top of her sister's head, then waiting for the moan of wakefulness she said, "You know she isn't going to runaway or change her mind."

Trembling Alicia said, "How was it you were so calm? I think I'm going to be sick."

Rolling over Fate pulled her sister into her arms and for an instant it was like they were children again. Two halves of a whole, mirror images. In that calming moment Alicia was able to find her center and her breathing became more even.

Petting Alicia's hair Fate said, "I would have probably been a complete mess the day of the wedding if I hadn't gotten to sleep with Nanoha the night before. So you could say I cheated but it was her who snuck back to the house. I just took advantage of the circumstance and glommed on to her."

Frowning Alicia pouted, "Carim is really taking the whole 'seeing the bride before the wedding is bad luck' thing to heart."

Massaging the tension out of her sister's neck Fate said blandly, "This is her second marriage. She doesn't want to take any risks."

Grumbling a little Alicia whined, "None of that bothered Nanoha. She pretty much said 'screw you tradition and the horse you rode in on.' I wish Carim would do that for me right now."

A head popped out of the ensuite bathroom at that moment and ignoring her soon to be sister-in-law's smirk crawled onto the bed behind Alicia. Wrapping her arms around her prize she pulled her loose of Fate's hold before dropping kisses all over her face and whispering words of love and devotion. The tight grip Alicia had on her bride and happy purring noise she was emitting meant it was time to go. Sliding out of bed and out of the room before she was forced to see something that would mentally scar her for life Fate hightailed it.

As she made her way down the hall she poked her head into her and Nanoha's room and saw her wife was still dressing. Sneaking in behind her she ducked her head to kiss a bare shoulder. The squeak of surprise this won her made her smile, though the breath stealing kiss that was planted on her was even more enjoyable. Breaking the kiss Nanoha giggled at the lovestruck look on Fate's face.

Tugging on her wife's long blonde ponytail she mock pouted, "Fate-chan! I'm hungry. The babies want pancakes."

Rubbing circles on the round tummy and loving the fluttering feeling of her daughters moving Fate said with a grin, "Whatever my princesses want they shall get. But first mommy needs to put a shirt on or mama won't be held responsible for any delays in the serving of breakfast."

Lightly smacking Fate's wandering hands Nanoha pulled away and put on her maternity shirt. The lost of all that soft pink flesh made the blonde sigh but she knew her duty. Leading her wife downstairs she settled her into a chair so they could talk as she cooked for the hungry woman and herself. Twenty minutes later eating breakfast with a snuggly Nanoha Fate felt her own equilibrium resettling. She had no plans to be the one to break up whatever was going on in Alicia's room so when Hayate entered the kitchen she decided to let the self-appointed Maid of Honor deal with the pair so they could get the show on the road.

The grumbling Tanuki snatched a cup of coffee and piece of toast before stomping back up the stairs. The muttering imprecations and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes as she went to her thankless task. Smirking at this sight Fate couldn't help thinking, 'Better you than me.'

Until Nanoha and her friends came into their lives Alicia had no close female friends, nowadays she had Hayate as her BFF since she decided to adopt the blonde for a multitude of reasons. The main being the two women were two peas in a pod when it came to sense of humor and both adored NanoFate, wanting nothing more than to see the pair happy. Not that they didn't conspire to annoy or exasperate the couple when they got bored. Though right now Fate suspected the only one who'd be tearing her hair out was going to be Hayate as she tried to wrangle Alicia away from Carim.

A grouchy Alicia was being dragged by the arm by a now manic looking Tanuki, apparently her coffee had kicked in or at least the excitement for the day. The brunette had plans to use the blonde as a Barbie doll that day and no one was going to derail her. Barely allowing Alicia the time it took to swallow her own cup of coffee and a slice of toast the pair went off to do whatever torture she had planned to make sure her pretty dress up doll was a princess for her bride. A thoroughly rumpled and mostly amused Carim came in a few minutes later.

Pushing a coffee cup towards the smug looking woman Fate said, "You know you could have just slept with her last night? Avoided all the sneaking around you were doing. Alicia might sleep like a rock but I sensed you opening the door every time you came in to check on her."

Blushing a little Carim had the good grace to apologise, "Sorry. I wanted to be all traditional but in the end I couldn't stand it. I had to see her."

Nanoha gave her sister-in-law an understanding smile and said, "I understand completely. If I hadn't had Vivio to cuddle with last night I think I'd be a complete mess."

Now concerned for her patient Carim asked, "Were you able to rest comfortably?"

Patting the worried blonde's hand Nanoha giggled a little before admitting, "I had a sleepover with the girls. I'm pretty sure my condition is going to have them waiting until they're thirty before having children. Vivo massaged my back until she swore her hands were going to fall off and poor Einhart got lullaby duty. She sang to the twins until her voice was hoarse. I pointed out to them Fate-chan does both and more every night and they declared her a saint on the spot."

Reaching over to rub the round bump Fate said in a coddling voice, "My girls deserve to be spoiled as much as possible. Though it is nice to know I'm not as replaceable as I'd once imagined."

Poking Fate's cheek with mild annoyance Nanoha said, "You're not replaceable at all. I've told you a million times, no one but my Fate-chan will do."

Catching her wife's hand Fate kissed the fingertips before saying cheesily, "Only Nanoha will do for me too. You are my angel."

Rolling her eyes at this Carim said, "I swear I have never seen a couple so ridiculously in love as you two."

Burgundy eyes turned to stare at the bride-to-be before Fate said levelly, "You have no clue how you and Alicia look to outside eyes do you? I've never known her to be happier than when she is with you. Just as Nanoha is my light, so you are hers. Never forget that."

It was at that moment that Shamal decided to pad her way into the kitchen. Stealing Carim's cup of coffee she drained it in one long gulp before moving to the pot to refill it. Drinking this one in a more civilized manner she then blinked at the trio sitting together.

Looking up blearily at the wall clock she said, "I hate jet lag. Ugh okay we have thirty minutes to eat something then it's out the door so we can get our hair and makeup done. Then we will can get dressed before heading over to the oratory."

Shamal took another long gulp of coffee before studying her old friend closely, "You know this will be first time I've been in a house of god since I was a teenager. Our local priest was less than accepting of my relationship with Signum and actually tried to get Vita taken away from us once I moved in with them. Sanctimonious small-minded old man, he nearly destroyed my family, we were so relieved when we finally graduated and were able to move away."

Fate got up and put a hand on Shamal's shoulder before saying, "I know this is hard for you. Thank you for facing these ugly memories for Alicia and Carim's sake. I know Alicia thinks of you as a mentor and a sort of big sister."

Snorting at this Shamal said, "Sister huh? No wonder she drove me mad every chance she got. I don't know how you've dealt with her for so long, but now she's Carim's problem. You did tell her there is a no return policy on that brat right? Caveat Emptor."

Shaking her head at this Fate replied, "I see you are still grumpy in the morning. I look forward to when your coffee kicks in and the kind and gentle Shamal comes back out to play. Now in an effort to coax her out how about I cook something for you and Carim. What would you like?"

Carim tried to wave Fate off by saying, "Oh you don't have to. I don't think I could swallow more than a piece of toast right now."

Wagging a finger at Carim Fate said, "Oh no you don't. You need to eat, the last thing we need is you fainting due to low blood sugar. I will make something easy on the stomach though, just in case of nerves. I know my stomach was fluttering like mad right before the ceremony."

The bride looked surprised by this and pointed out, "Alicia said you looked dead calm and steady as a rock."

Whipping up an omelet for the two women Fate said, "Appearances can be deceiving. I wasn't scared of getting married or that Nanoha was going to run off. I was so excited I felt like I was about to explode into tears or laughter in pure joy from it all."

Hearing this Carim reflected on what she was feeling and realized that was exactly how she felt at the moment. No hesitation, no fear for the future, no concern that she was making a mistake, she was just so damn happy she wanted to scream. She wanted the whole world to know how much she loved Alicia and that the beautiful blonde was going to be her wife.

Accepting the meal the two older blondes ate their food quickly then with an eagle eye Shamal said, "Thank you for the food Fate-san. Now then I think it's time for us all to get ready to leave."

No one dared argue against this mandate, so the four women put away their plates and headed off to prepare.

~"~"~

Entering the small room where her sister waited Fate could see she was nervously pacing back and forth. Hayate was trying to make sure she didn't trample her train as she fought her wedding jitters. Coming over to the tense woman she pulled her into a hug and received a vice like grip in return. Breaking the hold she studied her sister's face and could see it wasn't fear that was making her act like this. She was more like a racehorse waiting for the shot and the freedom to run straight for her prize.

Smiling at Alicia she said, "It's time."

Burgundy eyes glittered with excitement and she just about bolted for the door but a firm grip held her back, amused Fate said, "Slowly now. We don't need you breaking a leg getting out there."

Whining Alicia said, "But she'd waiting!"

Hayate arranged the train neatly before taking her place behind the woman. She might have been conscious of the fact that Fate should have been standing there but she also knew the twin had her own role to play that day. The younger twin fitted her sister's hand on her forearm and said, "Yes she is but that's no reason for you to stampee down the aisle like a rampaging elephant. Now take a deep breath and I will hand you over to your bride."

Walking her sister down the aisle and giving her away wasn't something she ever dreamed of happening. Yet there Carim was waiting for Alicia, taking the hand clutching her tightly she placed it in the beseeching grip of the doctor. Kissing her twin on the cheek she returned to her spot in the audience and watched as they exchanged their vows. She didn't even realize she was crying until Nanoha wiped her face.

The reception and all the intricate necessities of the event were a blur; dancing with both brides and wishing them the best as they wore blinding smiles was about the only memory Fate could really hold in her overwrought mind. Her sister now belonged to another, the person who had saved her and had always been by her side was married. When Nanoha got them back to the Testarossa property when the party began to slow and the couple fled for their honeymoon she could tell Fate was in a tailspin. Happiness and her long held fear of abandonment warred in her heart then looking over her wife as she helped her undress she realized something.

Catching delicate hands in her own she said, "This is what I want for Alicia. This happiness for as long as she lives. Part of me wanted to be selfish and keep her all to myself, this morning when we woke up it was like we were children again. She was once my whole world, no one, not even Arf compared to her in my eyes. She was the one I called out to in the dark, not our father. Now though I have you and while she is still important to me, I know whose name I'd call if I was hurt. It is only proper.. Uh I mean her attention should move to someone who needs her more than me. No, not just needs..."

Rubbing the crease on Fate's brow Nanoha finished for her, "They both need each other. Alicia and Carim are like us. Walking wounded but finding healing in our love. And you're right, Alicia deserves the same kind of happiness we have. I'd hate for her to spend the rest of her life alone. Carim is just the woman for her."

Sighing in relief that Nanoha understood Fate hugged her wife whispering, "I love you."

Tugging Fate towards the bed Nanoha replied, "I love you too Fate-chan."


End file.
